The Old Testament reading appointed for today is taken from one of the social justice prophets, Micah, who wrote:
Alas for those who devise wickedness and evil deeds on their beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in their power. They covet fields, and seize them; houses, and take them away; they oppress householder and house, people and their inheritance. Therefore, thus says the Lord: Now, I am devising against this family an evil from which you cannot remove your necks; and you shall not walk haughtily, for it will be an evil time. On that day they shall take up a taunt-song against you, and wail with bitter lamentation, and say, ‘We are utterly ruined; the Lord alters the inheritance of my people; how he removes it from me! Among our captors he parcels out our fields.’ Therefore you will have no one to cast the line by lot in the assembly of the Lord.
‘Do not preach’—thus they preach—‘one should not preach of such things; disgrace will not overtake us.’ Should this be said, O house of Jacob? Is the Lord’s patience exhausted? Are these his doings? Do not my words do good to one who walks uprightly? But you rise up against my people as an enemy; you strip the robe from the peaceful, from those who pass by trustingly with no thought of war. The women of my people you drive out from their pleasant houses; from their young children you take away my glory for ever. Arise and go; for this is no place to rest, because of uncleanness that destroys with a grievous destruction. If someone were to go about uttering empty falsehoods, saying, ‘I will preach to you of wine and strong drink’, such a one would be the preacher for this people!
I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob, I will gather the survivors of Israel; I will set them together like sheep in a fold, like a flock in its pasture; it will resound with people. The one who breaks out will go up before them; they will break through and pass the gate, going out by it. Their king will pass on before them, the Lord at their head. (Micah 2:1-13).
Micah came to tell of God’s concern for those who were oppressed by the rich and powerful who “covet fields, and seize them; houses, and take them away; they oppress householder and house, people and their inheritance.” Of those who oppress the poor, Micah tells them that they rise up against God’s people as an enemy taking away from them family and home. God will not tolerate such behavior because everyone, including the poor, are made in God’s likeness and image. To do that to the poor is to do that to their Creator.
Things have not really changed since the time of Micah, and he is a prophetic voice for us today in all parts of the world. God is concerned for all people; God demands that everyone be treated justly and not to be stripped of what little they may have in the name of greed. God calls for a just world where everyone should enjoy the fruit of their labors with human dignity.
Let us pray: Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
CALENDAR REMINDERS
The 6th Annual Art Show, “Let There Be Light,” continues this week ending this weekend. Please be there for this event which reaches out to the community.
Blessing of the Animals for the Feast of St. Francis will be Saturday the 11th of October at 10 AM on the front lawn by the cross.
We will continue with our Adult Christian Education series, Islam in Focus, on Sunday, 12 October at 11 AM.
Trick-or-treat at St. Augustine. Please bring candy for our annual trick-or-treat for the neighborhood on All Hallows Eve (Halloween) on 31 October 2014.
Please remember everyone on our Prayer List.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
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