What I’m Thinking: Whose Sanctuary?

The prophet Amos was asked to leave his nation for criticizing the King in “the King’s sanctuary.” But whose was it, really?

Here’s a transcript:

I’m glad to be back in Hilo after a couple of weeks away. I spent a week at the General Synod of the United Church of Christ in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and then another week moving along the east coast of the U.S. – granted, not a lot of it – but between Boston and New York, visiting family and friends. It’s very good to be home.

I’m thinking about the seventh chapter of the book of Amos (Amos 7:7-17).

Amos, as a prophet, is the favorite of some, but I assure you he was not the favorite of King Jeroboam of Israel or of Amaziah, the senior priest in the sanctuary. Amos, you see, criticized both the king and the religion of his day there in that sanctuary. Amaziah, in an ancient version of “This land, love it or leave it,” in this passage told Amos that he needed to leave: to move out of the nation of Israel and journey south to the kingdom of Judah.

Why?

Because it was the king’s sanctuary, and the criticism of the king had no place in the king’s sanctuary.

Well, from Amos’ point of view, the sanctuary, the nation, the palace itself: all of those locations meant nothing. All of those belonged to and continue to belong to God.

The criticism of priest and of monarch – those, if they were the summons of God, had to be done anywhere and any how. The word had to be said.

“This land, love it or leave it…” No.

This land: love it and correct it. This land: love it and tell it that it must change.

That’s what I’m thinking. I’m curious to hear about what you’re thinking. Leave me your thoughts in the comment section below; I’d love to hear from you.