Amos 6:1-7

Amos 6:1-7 (NRSV):

1 Woe to those who are at ease in Zion

and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria,

the notables of the first of the nations,

to whom the house of Israel resorts!

2 Cross over to Calneh and see;

from there go to Hamath the great;

then go down to Gath of the Philistines.

Are you better than these kingdoms?

Or is your territory greater than their territory,

3 you who put far away the evil day

and bring near a reign of violence?

4 Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory

and lounge on their couches

and eat lambs from the flock

and calves from the stall,

5 who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp

and like David improvise on instruments of music,

6 who drink wine from bowls

and anoint themselves with the finest oils

but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!

7 Therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile,

and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away.

Queries:

What’s the systemic issue? What’s the heart issue?

What does or could the Quaker testimony of simplicity look like in my life?

What does generosity look like for me, right now?

What is my/our part in addressing economic inequality in our world?

How do we appeal to the Love, the goodness, that of God, in others?

Beds of Ivory