Movement, motion.  It’s kind of funny.  It can be really great or very annoying.

For instance, a gentle rocking in a mother’s arms can soothe a tearful baby.  Yet a similar rocking of a ship can leave its passengers feeling dizzy and dismal.

And the absence of movement is similar.  After a long, busy day, a quiet, still evening is a blessing.  But to the one who feels shut off from companionship or who is battling a long illness, that same quiet stillness can magnify the sense of loneliness and despair.

Movement of the wind can cool a stifling day or can mangle trees and demolish buildings.

Movement.

In the tiny little book of Amos, #37 of the 52 Week Challenge readings, God’s prophet records some interesting paradoxes about movement.  Consider these motions.

Simple movement

The earth’s rotation taking us from day to night,

And the cycle of rain that draws up from the sea, waters the earth, then returns to the sea.

While complex, both are movements that we learn to predict and appreciate from a fairly young age.  Movements that drive our activities, set our clocks, and nourish our crops and families. 

Predictable movement.  Stable motion. 

The very predictability of these complex systems point to a Master Creator.  Left to human devises and schemes, motion tends to wind down and stop.  For instance, have you ever tried to keep a simple child’s top spinning?  It’s a simple process, simple design, but I just can’t keep it going on my own.

Yet God designed and created movement, motion that, by its very predictability, demonstrates His majesty.

Continual motion.  Continual reminder of the Creator.

But then Amos records God’s perspective on us when we practice a different sort of continual motion. 

"I hate, I despise your feasts, 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; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look up on them. Take away from me the noise of your songs, to the melody of your harps I will not listen." (Amos 5:21-23)

Then He adds these words:

Through these few short verses, God calls us to get out of our human ruts of going through the motions of worship while our hearts sit motionless.  He reminds us that the motions of worship without hearts dedicated to justice and righteousness are meaningless to Him.

With straightforward words, God calls His people to movement, a movement of righteousness that is ever flowing, to justice that rolls down.

Movement.  Meaningful, purposeful movement.

A simple summary:

Seek the Lord and live. (Amos 5:6)

Let’s move!  Let's live!

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As always, thanks for reading.

Rachel