But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. (Amos 5:24)
The epicenter of the violence in Minneapolis Wednesday and Thursday nights was very close to where our son Martin used to live. The Target that was looted, the Cub Foods whose parking lot was littered with destruction--these were his haunts and I knew them well. The wonderful church to which he still belongs, also named Holy Trinity, is right there and opened its doors that night to those who sought refuge. The destruction is shocking, possibly largely the result of outside agitators. Even so it pales in comparison to the horror of the way an innocent man died. It is a tragic reality of a country still steeped in white privilege that violence is necessary to call widespread attention to what happened. Time, after time, after time...does nothing ever change? The roar of the fires, the screeching of sirens, the shouts and shattering of glass--seen from the view of the larger forces at work, these were the sounds of God's justice in operation. It thunders because only through sheer might can the forces of injustice be turned back. God never desires that people destroy property that rightfully belongs to others. But God IS calling us to be active participants in acts of love for our fellow human beings, acts that flow from God's own heart and character. The prophet Amos is fed up with the hypocrisy of the people of Israel. They pay lip service to God and then turn away to live in shallow, selfish ways. So he erupts: "Take away from me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down....." Please, God, fill the hearts of your faithful people with the desire for justice and enlighten them with the fires of your love. Yours in hope, Pastor Raabe