Human Rights/Social Justice
Reading the prophets often leaves us with the problem of moving from ‘there and then’ to ‘here and now’. The traditional method of drawing parallels with today and then suggesting morals and lines of action is not altogether satisfactory because we know so little of what life was like then, which means ‘parallels’ may not be parallel at all and even if they are our world is so totally different as to limit their usefulness severely.
After working with Christians in Latin America a biblical scholar, Carroll R, suggests that in the case of Amos we aim at ‘a poetic reading within a rich understanding of the cultural context in which it is to be interpreted’. In other words, begin with our own culture and situation. Treat the text as poetry, accepting the anonymity of the characters, but pause and ponder words and concepts which have a local or contemporary resonance.
To help the process we might also explore what Brueggemann calls ‘a zone of imagination’ which stands between the input of the text and the outcome of attitudes, belief or behaviour. This is an intensely personal area, full of ‘baggage’ based on what we have always been told — a mix of powerful interests, deep fears and unresolved hurts — but if we give freedom to the text and our imagination we may well find the Bible comes alive in a new way. Seeds we did not even know were there may begin to shoot and blossom.
In the first week try to hear what Amos is saying. Ask yourself what might have led him to say it. See if you find yourself suddenly appearing ‘in the frame’. In the second week, as we revisit some of the territory, use your imagination to see what meaning his words might have for us.