God advocates mightily for the poor, oppressed, and marginalized who cannot amplify their own voices in the book of Amos. God’s harsh judgment for those in power, and for us today, leaves a deafening silence in its wake. Yet, it is through this absence of sound that God creates space for us to hear the voices of our brothers and sisters in Christ who are too often silenced by injustice.

Amos, Joel, and Hosea challenge us to listen, to hear their jarring words, and to stay engaged with their texts. Throughout our lives, many of us have had the privilege of choosing the narratives we want to claim as our own and discarding those that don’t serve us well. Amos reminds us that the privilege to choose doesn’t hold true with the Word of God.

Be silent.
Courageously sit with words that cause us pain.
Own the injustice that we continue to perpetuate today.
Listen to the lived experiences of others and accept them as their truth.
Work together to dismantle systems that give some privilege and others inequity.
Live with the confidence that despite our imperfection, God empowers and sends each of us to strive for justice and peace in all the world.

God proclaims God’s never-ending love for us through the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. Living in this promise emboldens us to claim and confess the truth of our sins and receive God’s abundant forgiveness. Our faith may waver and wane, but God’s faithfulness remains steadfast. God will unite us as one people, transforming the mess of our broken pieces into a magnificent mosaic, through which God’s light will shine upon all of creation.