Amos 2:6-16 BibleGateway.com
Amos doesn’t seem to fit. His writings begin with a searing judgment on the nations surrounding Israel, and then his gaze turns to both Judah and Israel. The reigns of Uzziah in Judah and Jeroboam II in Israel were marked by a period of relative peace and prosperity. Amos tells us, however, that not all is well. His scathing critique
includes both the abuse of the poor by the rich and powerful and the liturgical practices in the temple, which he dismisses as mere noise.
I remember Advent from two years ago. I was a missionary working in the slums and shantytowns of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The hot summer sun beat down on the metal roofs, making the makeshift homes unbearable during the day; the running of sewer rats on the metal roofs made for a lack of sleep by night. It was seven square blocks of misery. One of hundreds around the city. One of thousands in Argentina. One of millions around the world. During this Advent season, let us reflect on the meaning of Christmas from their perspective. Can we hear the voices of the crucified poor? Is all well?
An Argentine priest, Carlos Múgica, wrote “Mass for the Third World.” I’ve translated part of it for you. Let it be our prayer.
Prayer: Glory to the God that is love and in the land peace to those who struggle for justice! We praise you as we struggle so that our starving children eat. We glorify you as we want to destroy today the instruments of torture. We give you thanks, for there are men who give their lives in the revolution. We give you thanks, Lord, because you are not a spectator God, but rather a God who became human, who suffers along with suffering humanity.
We give you thanks, Lord
Brian Plescher
Middler student from Grand Rapids, Michigan
Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
CLICK HERE to listen to each day's devotional.
Amos doesn’t seem to fit. His writings begin with a searing judgment on the nations surrounding Israel, and then his gaze turns to both Judah and Israel. The reigns of Uzziah in Judah and Jeroboam II in Israel were marked by a period of relative peace and prosperity. Amos tells us, however, that not all is well. His scathing critique
includes both the abuse of the poor by the rich and powerful and the liturgical practices in the temple, which he dismisses as mere noise.
I remember Advent from two years ago. I was a missionary working in the slums and shantytowns of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The hot summer sun beat down on the metal roofs, making the makeshift homes unbearable during the day; the running of sewer rats on the metal roofs made for a lack of sleep by night. It was seven square blocks of misery. One of hundreds around the city. One of thousands in Argentina. One of millions around the world. During this Advent season, let us reflect on the meaning of Christmas from their perspective. Can we hear the voices of the crucified poor? Is all well?
An Argentine priest, Carlos Múgica, wrote “Mass for the Third World.” I’ve translated part of it for you. Let it be our prayer.
Prayer: Glory to the God that is love and in the land peace to those who struggle for justice! We praise you as we struggle so that our starving children eat. We glorify you as we want to destroy today the instruments of torture. We give you thanks, for there are men who give their lives in the revolution. We give you thanks, Lord, because you are not a spectator God, but rather a God who became human, who suffers along with suffering humanity.
We give you thanks, Lord
Brian Plescher
Middler student from Grand Rapids, Michigan
Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
CLICK HERE to listen to each day's devotional.
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