Amos 8:4-7

“Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land…the Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.” vss. 4, 7

Amos was a prophet of Judah and acquainted with wilderness living. When his mission brought him north and he saw the incredible wealth of Israel he wasted no time with niceties in his proclamations. He could not believe how the rich exploited the poor by manipulating trade and business to increase their profits or that religious leaders condoned such practices. Sadly, the words of Amos have mostly been ignored through the centuries and we’ve allowed such inequities to flourish in every time and every place. Instead of reaching out to help the needy we devise ever more successful ways to help the rich get even richer. When will we ever learn that this is not a God-pleasing way to live? Still, there are folks in every age who do get the point. In our neighborhoods and congregations there are countless followers of Jesus who take the words of prophets like Amos to heart and who work diligently for change by pointing out inequities and practicing contentment. Such people understand the blessings that come with generous simplicity and are the leaven of decency in our culture of excess.

Thought for the Day: What is generous simplicity?