Fifth Sunday of Lent, March 21, 2021
Amos and Amaziah
In a wonderfully written essay posted on July 5, 2010, Dan Clendenin weaves the stories of Amos of Tekoa with Oscar Romero, the martyred Salvadoran Archbishop. Clendenin points out that the story of the meeting between these two men, prophet and priest, would light up the blogosphere if it took place today.
Even when we are warned of impending doom, we manage to convince ourselves that all is well.
Even when we see violence happening to our relatives and neighbors, we convince ourselves that we are not part of the ugliness.
Even when the evidence is incontrovertible, we continue to believe the illusion that we ourselves have created.
As we continue our Lenten journey, let us consider who might be the Amaziahs in our lives. Who is it we believe without questioning? Who keeps us comfortable and creates a place for us in which we cease to question or even think? Who convinces us of the lies we plan together?
As we continue our Lenten journey, let us consider who might the Amoses in our lives. Who brings us truth that makes us uncomfortable? Who challenges the easy stories that rise out of falsehood? Who calls us to our better and brighter selves?
As we continue our Lenten journey, let us pledge to spend daily quality time with Christ who is our best and constant teacher. Let us promise to listen for the words of true prophets who bring us a reality we may not see. Let us promise to see the woes of the world as they really are and not as we wish them to be. And let us promise to keep always before us clear visions of the kingdom of God that Amos calls us to see.
To view a powerful music video about Bishop Oscar Romero, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21CN815v2G0&feature=youtu.be and to learn more about The Martyr’s Project, go to: http://www.themartyrsproject.com/index2.html
To read Clendenin’s post, visit the Journey with Jesus blog at: http://www.journeywithjesus.net/Essays/20100705JJ.shtml
To learn more about Oscar Romero and more about the International Day of Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims, visit: https://www.un.org/en/events/righttotruthday/romero.shtml
The Noontimes 