Voice of the Voiceless
Think of Micah not as the Voice of the Establishment but as the Voice of the Voiceless. Not standing ‘firm on the rock’ with a clear message of right and wrong for all who were prepared to listen, but more like a ‘wrestler with the troubled sea’ caught up in the struggle of life and trying to work it out along with everybody else. Not an upfront leader, handing it out to others, but one whose strength sprang from his weakness and a mighty determination to do something about it. Not enough perhaps to put the cat among the pigeons but certainly enough to cause one or two pigeons to show signs of agitation. These qualities led Juan Alfaro, a Mexican biblical scholar, to suggest that Micah needs to be read as an early-day Liberation Theologian. How? And why?
Because he was in the world, but not of the world, living 25 miles outside Jerusalem, he was near enough to know what was going on there, in the Temple and in the Court, among the priests and the politicians, but far enough away to know what was happening to the mass of people in the country who were dependent on decision-making in Jerusalem but had no share in it. Far enough away to commute by day and brush it off by night, he had no need to get involved. He might be forgiven for not even noticing. But in Micah’s case it was this very distancing of himself from it all, coupled with an acute sensitivity and concern, which gave him his unique (and often unpopular) view.
To appreciate Micah’s message it helps to create a personal backdrop (or stage setting) against which you will hear his word. Try focusing on a situation in which you have some personal experience, directly or indirectly, and about which you feel strongly. It might be rich and poor, globally, nationally or in your own locality. It might be a power struggle of a different kind in your church, club, town or some other organisation you belong to. See if you can find ‘Micah’ in that situation. Or put yourself in his shoes and work out what you might say or do. Difficult, because we know so little about him. Easy, because that opens the door to imagination. Remember Micah is the one living in an evil world but seeing things from the divine perspective.