"Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream" (Amos 5:24).
India is the land of spirituality where there is no dearth of devotional practices, votive offerings and pilgrimages. Moreover, the number of those engaged in such pursuits is on the increase. But is their sense of justice and righteousness growing in proportion to their devotion? Here is an incident that can serve as a testing stone to our sense of justice. A boy passed away as the result of a heart surgery. As his own house was far away, his body was taken to a local government-owned common cremation ground. Though the prescribed fee was paid, nobody paid any attention. When the attendant was questioned, he whispered something to the boy's father. The father did as was suggested-paid the same amount as the prescribed fee, also to the workers as bribe. Only then was something done to cremate the dead body. The father, filled with grief, despair and outrage, later remarked: "I felt more pain at having to pay a bribe to get the body of my dead son cremated, than to lose my child."
Is this incident that occurred in a country where spirituality has scaled great heights, sneering at our sense of justice? On the one hand, religious fervour, prayers, offerings, fasts and pilgrimages abound. On the other, the very same people engaged in such expressions of religious devotion, are guilty of exploitation, corruption, scam and theft. The Bible has denounced such external signs of religious fervour devoid of the practice of justice, through the mouth of the prophet Amos. The Lord has said, "I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them....Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps"(Amos 5:21-23).
God knew that those outbursts were but masks of religious fervour and were utterly hypocritical. The heart was devoid of love and righteousnss. "They hate the one who reproves in the gate and they abhor the one who speaks the truth....You trample on the poor and take from them levies of grain....You who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and push aside the needy in the gate"(Amos 5:10-12). Therefore the Lord says, "Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream"(Amos 5:24). Loose the bonds of injustice, undo the thongs of the yoke, let the oppressed go free, break every yoke, share your bread with the hungry, bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, cover them, do not hide yourself from your own kin(cf Is 58:6-7). These are the practical aspects of the justice and righteousness that the Lord requires. Our Lord Jesus Christ confirmed the prophetic message through his word. Denouncing the religious practices shorn of justice and mercy, he said to the Pharisees, "Woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God"(Lk 11:42).
On August 15th 1997, it will be 50 years since India became independent. As far as the ordinary children of Mother India are concerned, were the last fifty years, years of freedom or years of bondage? The normal rights of an individual will be honoured only with a bribe-does this state of affairs indicate freedom or slavery ? National surveys are said to have revealed that India very nearly tops the list of corrupt countries in the world! Have Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, and other leaders waged a warfare that required so much of self-sacrifice, for this kind of freedom?
The challenge to those who have known Jesus Christ lies in this-as we grow in faith and devotion to Jesus our Lord, we should also grow in the sense of justice and righteousness, honesty, love and mercy. In an age when belief and superstitions intermingle, the only criterion to distinguish true faith is this. May the coming years be years of true and genuine faith for India!
Editor
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