“But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.” – Amos 5:24

It is as if Amos were here with us today. His words sing out the song of “judgment” or “justice.” It is a strong word for what happens in a community or a nation when God works through people and leaders to set wrongs right and to create a society of fairness, equity, and compassion.

It is a stream that does not terminate in any time or place.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached with such a calling to leaders and vision for the future. Echoing the words of Amos, the prophet, he portrayed God’s judgment as refreshing and cleansing.

And so it is.

Whatever the time, place, or office, Amos 5:24 is the highest calling for the leadership of this or any nation.

Without our prayers and encouragement, the task is too awful and daunting for any man or woman.  If a man or woman leads a people who pray for, work for, and long for justice, truth, and righteousness, that leadership can be like that of Dr. King who called himself nothing more than a “drum major for justice.”

Let us encourage our leaders, while holding them accountable,  by walking in step with the rhythm of truth and swaying to the sweet song of a compassionate society, rooted in God’s call and founded upon the law of love that Jesus taught us.

We are commissioned and challenged to ask ourselves what that means in our context, moment by moment, day by day.

As we speak truth to power, let us do so with our own deeds, choices, and lives as well as with our words.