Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Scripture: Amos 6: 1; 4 – 7

Reflection

Verse one of our texts today sets the tone for the whole chapter. It is the message that embeds all that follows. Every single activity that is spelled out in the chapter is intrinsically tied to the first verse. In other words whatever activity that transpires in Israel is a product of what is happening in verse one – COMPLACENCY.

Complacency simply put is knowing without acting upon that knowledge. It is seeing without seeing. It is eating as in indulging without tasting. Your being present is as equal to your absence. – COMPLACENCY.

This act of complacency gives us a peek into the depravity the human soul can be. Some may argue it is because of concerns of security that some become indifferent to what is going around them. We have called this ‘mind your own business.’ But minding our own businesses at the cost of many lives or at the thriving of evilness is to partake in those evil doings. We cannot be neutral really in many life-depending issues. Our concern is important.

We feast and celebrate life knowing full well that people are suffering. We eat and drink, dance to the beats of life while millions are dying – and not just people but other species as well. People are living comfortable lives while nature is suffering. Complacency can also be the result of comfortability. We become numb to the pain and suffering of others because it is not us who are suffering. Like Israel we lie on our comfortable beds and dress like rich people. We eat and drink excessively while many are suffering.

Our complacency in being silent over issues that matter is louder than the noises around us. We, without or with knowledge of the fate of others become one with the perpetrators of evil deeds. Another thing that is mentioned in the reading is that the consequences faced by the oppressors also befall us because like them, we chose to turn a blind eye giving a loud statement that we are with them in their evil doing, even without verbally saying it.

We must be careful of the sin of complacency. Never turn a blind eye on the evil doings of others. We are part of them. Whatever happens to them happens to us too. The question of what are we going to do about it is a genuine question for every Christian in this present age where there is so much evil. Will you do something about it? Or, will you care less?

-Temukisa Tuliaupupu, Congregational Christian Church in Samoa

Prayer

There is a lot of suffering in this world dear God. Many are crying out for help. But many of us are engulfing ourselves with ourselves. We love our comfortability more than we care for others. We live and work for ourselves only, not caring for others. We watch silently as people suffer. We are so disconnected from others.

Forgive us Lord. And help us to care, to see, to feel, and to act upon what we see needed to be acted upon. Lord this is our prayer, offered unto you in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.