ReaD Amos 5:21-24
There are times when a verse is so disorienting that we clearly remember the first time we read it. As a college student, I based my relationship with God on performing religious activities: having a quiet time, going to small group, and attending church on Sunday mornings. I thought that was what God wanted from me. And then I read Amos 5.
This passage is the beating heart of the book. Our pious participation in religious services is not enough, and is worse than not worshiping at all, if we are not also working to have right relationships with the people connected to us. Why is this?
During Amos’s time the wealthy and powerful men and women were economically exploiting the poor and marginalized. The religious sacrifices the powerful were making from their excess came from what they had stolen from those marginalized people. By their exploitation they had stored up wealth for themselves while creating cycles of poverty and slavery that prevented their fellow Israelites from worshiping and knowing God as God intended. This draws the ire of Amos and the wrath of God.
For me, this passage was shocking. Like the cows of Bashan in Amos 4, I had not considered how I used my money or treated others as acts of worship. It was, and is, easier for me to be busy with religious activities that make me feel connected to God. It is harder for me to truly seek just habits and right relationships. Yet, God created, knows, and loves those people impacted by my decisions and actions, and how I treat them is one of the truest indicators of who I am worshiping. Applying this truth has felt inconvenient, expensive, uncomfortable, and has been more formative than any Sunday morning or weekend retreat.
This week we have been reflecting on the anger Jesus expressed toward the barriers that keep people from God. Amos expands our view of what those barriers can be and our role in them. He also redefines what our worship is by inviting us to leave behind performative religious activities and move towards authentic, caring relationships. As you reflect on this passage, may you find ways to share God’s view and express new forms of worship in our world.
For Reflection:
- Where in your life can you build relationships with someone different from yourself? What steps can you take to form those relationships?
By Chris Nielson
