Observation: God shows Amos a basket of summer fruit as a symbol. Because of its unjust treatment of the poor, "an end will come upon my people Israel." Just as summer fruit doesn't keep long, neither will a society that mistreats its most vulnerable citizens. A note in my study Bible says that a play on the Hebrew words for "end" and "fruit" is "eternal winter."
Application: Most Christians can get on board with the idea that God wants us to feed and care for the poor. It's good to be generous. It's great to share, and help those who are less able to help themselves. All the Old Testament prophets would likely agree to this.
But where I get tripped up is that most of the prophets call me to go further than just sharing what I have. Prophets like Amos force me to look at the system on which my own society runs, and examine what is making people poor, and what is keeping them poor, when the total wealth of our world continues to increase. Amos would not be satisfied with my giving to support others. He would want me to look at unfair practices today which are keeping my neighbors from thriving.
Of course, God wants us each to take responsibility for our own lives. God has made us in such a way that we seek to work, and to create a livelihood for ourselves and our families. But if we look through our communities and see people working full time and then some, and still unable to afford the "daily bread" we know God wants for all people, the question the prophets would have us ask is, "Are we guilty of deceit and false balances?"
Prayer: God, I pray for change. I pray for the poor to eat and be satisfied. I pray for a system in which those who work full time can afford the necessities of life for their families. I pray for none of my neighbors to have to go into bankruptcy as a result of getting sick. I pray for our people to listen to one another, to find solutions that work for everyone, and for you to challenge me to do my part for justice and equity.
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