Let Justice roll on like waves of water!

I'm writing a paper right now. It's a 17-20 page paper over Amos 5:17-28. Yes, that's a lot of words I need to write about such a small passage. But this passage is wonderful. I've just finished reading approximately 7,000 pages (okay, more like 200 pages) worth of academic sources arguing over Amos in general, what "The Day of the Lord" actually is, the use of sacrifices in Israelite worship, and the culture of the northern kingdom in the early 8th century, among other things.

But, just a minute ago, I decided it would be best before I actually write the paper to read a whole bunch of different translations--since I am not yet a Hebrew scholar (nor do I ever hope to be, that language sucks!) So I read the Message, and although I disagree with the translation of vv. 18-20, vv.21-24 provide a great modern day example of what's going on in Amos' day.

21-24"I can't stand your religious meetings.
I'm fed up with your conferences and conventions.
I want nothing to do with your religion projects,
your pretentious slogans and goals.
I'm sick of your fund-raising schemes,
your public relations and image making.
I've had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.
When was the last time you sang to me?
Do you know what I want?
I want justice—oceans of it.
I want fairness—rivers of it.
That's what I want. That's all I want.

In otherwords, God is fed-up with the 8th century BCE form of American Christianity's health and wealth gospel, fundamentalism, and other wrong aspects of our sub-culture.

God desires justice and righteousness... not burnt offerings and grain offerings.
God desires a culture of love... not pretty music and good speaking.
God desires us to follow him with a lifestyle... not focus on him Sunday mornings, or when someone is playing a "christian" song.

The whole passage I'm writing my paper over is a Woe oracle. It's pronouncing judgement on the people of Israel. The most interesting part, I think, is Amos' definition of the "Day of the Lord." Many in his day and time believed the "Day of the Lord" was a date in the future when God would pronounce judgement on Israel's neighbors. Little do they know that Amos is teaching them differently. "The Day of the Lord is darkness and not light." It's God's punishment on the Israelites for their lack of covenant fellowship with God. It is a person seeing danger, running from it, and being captured (unknowingly) in another danger. Next, running from the 2nd danger, only to find death in his own home. Ironic isn't it?

I wrote all this, mostly just to figure some of it out for myself. But I urge you to read through Amos. It's a great book dealing with societal ills dealing with justice.