I was rather surprised when I read our Old Testament reading from Amos. Surprised because Israel were being reprimanded for doing what God has supposedly commanded Israel to do: Observe religious festivals – bringing burnt and grain offerings to God, singing and making joyful music to God. Amos says that God actually hates them – despises them.
“I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. It’s actually not that much different to what St Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13 who speaks about the many gifts that we bring to God that are worthless without love. If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
So what was the problem? God does not just want us to go through motions to appease him but seeks things that we do to be done from the heart and with love. God is not a God where we just tick the box and all if fine. Amos says that God is more focused on justice being shown by God’s people rather than obedience. The classic example of this is Jesus’ criticism of the Pharisees who were known for their strict obedience to the laws of God but neglected justice for those in need. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are. You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. And there were even more criticisms.
As we acknowledge this Season of Creation we will find the same principles at play in how we respond to caring for Creation – God’s creation. We know that the media is pushing very hard on things like “net zero” – renewable energy – electronic vehicles – reducing our carbon footprint – climate emergency and a whole host of more initiatives. But we also know the pushback from many people against these initiatives. This negativity is because of the attitude that if big companies can plant enough trees or buy enough carbon credits they can offset the pollution they cause so it’s okay. It’s okay to pollute as much as they need as long as they offset the pollution with trees or money or other initiatives.
But like Amos, St Paul and Jesus in our examples – the initiatives need to begin with our love for creation rather than a fear of what happens if we don’t do them. As Paul said – even if I give everything that I have to the poor – I gain nothing. So if we listen to both Amos and Jesus we see them both use the imagery of a river flow and if we think of how Paul describes the Holy Spirit being poured into our hearts we see this continuous flowing motion in our relationship with God and as our way of giving back of what God has blessed us with when it comes to caring for his creation. The love of God flows into us and then the love of God flows back through us to others. And if we think back to how we have been created by God out of the foundations of his creation – the beginning of Creation where Adam is brought forth from Creation – from the dust of the ground. In fact the name Adam comes from the Hebrew word for earth or ground – Adamah – Adam was formed from the Adamah. And into this pile of lifeless dust God’s breath flows into Adam to create his own Spirit – the breath of life. And then Adam is sent to care for creation from which he was created to work in the Garden of Eden tending to its needs.
And so we begin to see this connection between humanity, formed from the very earth that we are called to care for. And so our disrespect and lack of care for creation is a disrespect and lack of care for ourselves and as we are created in the Image of God a lack of care and respect for God himself and our neighbour. And so we can see why God is so concerned for justice for each other. And we see in the Book of Hebrews how important justice is – it is the centre piece of Christ’s very being: But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. God’s rule with be with a scepter of justice.
There is a oneness with creation which we acknowledge each time we lay a person to rest to await the resurrection. We use the words – ashes to ashes, dust to dust – dust we are and to dust we shall return. At creation God commanded us to care for creation.
God said to fill the earth and subdue it. Sadly, as is often with human nature, we have misinterpreted the meaning of subdue to mean oppression. That we can do whatever we want to creation because WE are in charge. But that’s not the meaning of the word often translated as submission or to be submissive -hypatasso. To submit means – to be placed under the care of not under the control of. So just as we place ourselves under the care of God, creation places itself under the care of humanity. Just as St Paul says that husbands and wives are to submit themselves to one another because of our reverence for Christ.
God does not oppress, neglect or abuse us – and neither are we to oppress, neglect or abuse creation or one another but care for it and each other. And by this we discover this river of justice to us and from us. As Amos says let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream. Having a relationship with God is not about ticking the right boxes. It is a relationship from the heart. Caring for our creation is not about ticking the right boxes. It’s about recognizing our connection with creation through our creation from the dust of creation and God placing creation under our care. And when we discover this then true justice will flow from us to the world. Not because that’s what we’re supposed to do but because of our connectedness and love for God, neighbour and creation, which are all connected..And that’s where we understand what Jesus meant when he said to love one another as you love yourself. Because we are all one.
We are created in the image of God. Our neighbour is created in the image of God. Dust we are and to dust we shall return.
So let us accept Jesus’ invitation: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink and let rivers of living water flow from within us and let the justice of God’s presence flood the world and let justice roll on like a river, and righteousness like a never-failing stream!
