Justice Like a River

As Christians, we have a highly developed and sometimes complex way of “approaching God,” “doing spirituality,” or “being the body of Christ.”

We attend church every Sunday morning, and sometimes on Wednesdays or Sunday nights. We read our Bibles, prayer before meals and on special occasions, give our tithes and offerings, and try to do all the other things that we believe we “should.”

This is how we try to live as Christians in everyday life. And while this “system” isn’t bad in and of itself, sometimes we can end up missing the larger point at the heart of our faith.

This “missing the point” happened in ancient Israel as well, and this is what the prophet Amos says that God had to say about it:

“I hate, I despise your festivals,

and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.

Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,

I will not accept them;

and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals

I will not look upon.

Take away from me the noise of your songs;

I will not listen to the melody of your harps.

But let justice roll down like waters,

and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

The astonishing feature of this passage is that it occurs in ancient Israel, where the going to the temple of Jerusalem and offering sacrifices was the only way of relating to God. If these rituals went, in ancient Israelite terms, basically everything went.

But, amazingly, in this passage Amos records God as stating that he doesn’t care about any of it!

As far as God is concerned, the whole mechanism of “doing religion” can be viewed–although not bad in and of itself–as beside the point.

“But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

The words “justice” and “righteousness” here evoke the metaphorical world of the ancient Hebrew law court. God is pictured as the “just” and “righteous” judge who rules in favor of “the least of these.”

Justice to the orphan, to the widow, to the least of these: this is, as far as God is concerned, the larger goal which the whole mechanism of “doing church” is supposed to facilitate.

Come join us at Ooltewah United Methodist Church as we try to imagine fresh ways of making justice roll like river in our community!