Do You Understand The Price Of Dignity And Freedom?
Good Morning Friends,
Today on this Fourth of July and my thoughts go to the more than a million migrant farmworkers in the United States who pick the fruits and vegetables we eat and the more than a million youth who are undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children, known as Dreamers who are in college or K-12 programs or even of preschool age. But I am also praying for the siblings of the Dreamers who are United States Citizens and the hope that they might become Dream Makers and produce a return on the investment our society has made, for all our benefit but especially for the communities who have educated them. Communities like Immokalee, Florida. Do You Understand The Price Of Dignity And Freedom?
Scripture: Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said. Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. 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.
Amos 5:14-15, 21-24 (NRSV)
When he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs coming out of the tombs met him. They were so fierce that no one could pass that way. Suddenly they shouted, “What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” Now a large herd of swine was feeding at some distance from them. The demons begged him, “If you cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.” And he said to them, “Go!” So they came out and entered the swine; and suddenly, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water. The swineherds ran off, and ongoing into the town, they told the whole story about what had happened to the demoniacs. Then the whole town came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood.
Matthew 8:28-34 (NRSV)
Message: Today’s lectionary passages from Amos and Matthew combine to shed some light on the challenge we have as a nation…as a world… when it comes to a balance of power and the demons that people face in the giving up perceived privilege before justice and righteousness might be served. The problem, or at least part of the problem is that the social change necessary and the cause and effect of our actions are removed from our conscious sight and so most lack a commitment to change. If we were to see abuses and injustice first hand and were not blinded to the situation almost all of us would act in some fashion to stop the abuse or at least not support it. Of course, there are bad apples and cases of the oppressed becoming the oppressors, so we must look at the whole clearly and act with a collective impact as advocates for what is right as a standard that really matches our values. The deal, when it comes to justice, is that we are not all guilty of injustice, however we all are responsible for fixing it and when we do, that is true freedom. Unfortunately, this is where we have a huge disconnect in our nation especially when it comes to issues of economics. We have a responsibility to know and to act in unity as advocates for each other and connect the dots. The crazy thing is that we trust corporations and government less and less and yet rely on them more and more. We need a new paradigm that deals with the deep historical roots of unresolved problems…that goes beyond Yelp and creates a culture of accountability for a common desire for both dignity and freedom. Unfortunately, we exhibit behavior and standards that really are at odds with our values. To align them we need God’s help in taking personal responsibility and that means getting rid of our demons…getting rid of our sins. We are not the first culture with the problem of slavery and abuses. We are not the first culture to dehumanize and commoditize people. Though things are getting better, justice still is more like a muddy puddle than an ever-flowing stream. Amos too saw the injustice and oppression of the poor. It is amazing how in the time of Amos that the people were going to worship, praying, and counting on God to answer and provide for them, while not giving the slightest attention to doing right, or being obedient. Our legislative bodies pass laws and enact programs that are intended to cure our society’s ills but perhaps to get the votes needed exclude the domestic worker and farmworker from laws that protect rights. Often it is a band aide that may even look good, but there is no real help. For this all to work we each must become more conscious of the problems and commit to personal change that collectively can transform the balance of power for a peaceful justice to prevail. Friends, 80 percent of the world’s poor come from rural communities. Thankfully Amos knew something about that dynamic.
Pray we have freedom from sin. Pray we have freedom from legalism. Pray
we seek good not evil. Pray we realize that demons will plague us until their power is broken. Pray we have a passion for the underdog. Pray that dignity might prevail so that true freedom might be gained. Pray we act in unity for our own salvation. Pray was we celebrate today that we reflect on what it means to truly be free in a way that glorifies God. Pray we connect the dots so we might see the full picture clearly. Pray we realize that paying more as premium for something might give us the greatest joy if in doing so we promote a collective consciousness that gets at what God really wants us to celebrate.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 