The Timeless Call for Justice: From Amos to Modern Times
July 5, 2024 - Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Amos 8:4-6, 9-12
From 1999 to 2002, I shepherded a Catholic community living deep in the mountains of East Timor, near the border with Indonesia. The climate there is ideal for coffee cultivation, and the community was growing one of the most renowned coffee varieties in the world, Arabica. At Starbucks, a cup of coffee costs between $2 to $5, requiring about 20 grams of coffee to brew. However, our farmers couldn't even sell 1 kg of their coffee for nearly the same price. One year, the situation became so dire that they decided not to harvest the coffee beans at all, as the price offered by middlemen didn't cover the expenses of their time and labour.
Economic Exploitation and Dishonest Practices
Amos 8:4-6 denounces the economic exploitation and dishonest practices of the powerful who "trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land." They were so eager to make money that they saw any religious holiday that interfered with their business as a nuisance. Today, in many countries, businesses have managed to abolish holidays that traditionally saw all shops closed, and it is precisely on these holidays that they make more money.
Amos reveals the dishonest business practices of his time. They used different measures for selling and buying grain, allowing them to pay less while buying wheat and earn more while selling it. Centuries later, the wise Sirach wrote in his book that "many people have sinned while looking for a profit" and that it is nearly impossible "to remove dishonesty from buying and selling" (see Sirach 27:1-2). Today, similar exploitations occur globally. Local farmers can barely make ends meet while intermediaries and large corporations reap substantial profits.
The Lord’s Condemnation
Amos' denunciation of dishonest economic practices ends with a direct word from the Lord: "I will never forget any of their doings" (Amos 8:7). Yet, neither the business community of Amos' time nor those of today seem to consider the Lord while conducting business. None of us expects the Lord to dismantle the capitalist system that prioritizes profit over people. Even more tragic is the fact that a version of the Christian message preaches a "gospel" that assures its adherents that God wants us to be rich and if we are not it is our fault.
Consequences of Injustice
The consequences of these perverted business practices were tragic for the northern kingdom of Israel. A nation with one of the highest GDPs in the region ceased to exist within a few years. Amos also speaks about another consequence of social injustice: a spiritual famine. "I will send famine upon the land: not a famine of bread, or thirst for water, but for hearing the word of the LORD" (Amos 8:11). The prophet further explains this scary prediction: we shall wander all over the world in search of the word of the Lord but we shall not find it (see Amos 8:12). Imagine a society where the Bible is forgotten, ignored, or outlawed. Yet, despite the Bible being acclaimed as a best-selling book, we seem to be slowly heading in that direction.
Conclusion
The God of Amos is a God of justice, and Amos is a prophet of social justice. One of the most famous statements from this book is: "But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!" (Amos 5:24). Can social justice prevail in our societies, or is it just a utopian dream?