“The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord asked me, “What do you see, Amos?”
“A plumb line,” I replied.
Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel.” Amos 7:7-10

A Plumb line is simply a string with a weight on it. When hung, the plumb line will show a stone mason, how to place a stone, to keep the building squared. The thing about a plumb line is, it is never political. It only reveals what is true. No matter where  one is hung, gravity will take it to the center. Any crooked wall will be shown for what it is.

Amos was among the prophets, called to speak a hard word.  It was given to Amos to see the hand of calamity coming, to know the inevitable consequences’ of  Israel’s decisions and actions.  Sent to warn them, his words fell on Israel’s unresponsive ears.

Amos could see Israel’s trajectory would lead to devastation. The words and wisdom God planted in his heart were dismissed, ridiculed and scorned. Around him was clear evidence of a nation going astray. At the time of Amos, Israel was a wealthy nation. Yet it placed heavy burdens on the poor. In their poverty, people were  forced to sell themselves and their children into slavery, for basic necessities of life. Amos named rights of the poor being trampled, and justice for the poor, denied.(Amos 2:6-7)

“Therefore because you trample on the poor
and take from them levies of grain,
you have built houses of hewn stone,
but you shall not live in them . . .
I know how many are your transgressions
and how great are your sins—
you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe
and push aside the needy in the gate.” Amos 5:10-12

Today, in our nation, actions are taking place which violate the righteousness of God. Immigrants are treated like war criminals, stripped of their rights, then sent to foreign prisons to be abused. God’s plumb line of righteousness, reveals a corrupt nation feeding wealth, to the wealthy . . . While both taking from the poor and adding burdens to their lives.

The scripture tells us, God is a lover of justice, and that justice is inclusive of all people. God’s plumb line measures us still. God’s standard of righteousness is eternal. Its moral compass is meant to guide our common life. Our response to injustice tells us just  how deep are  the righteous values we claim. It measures our worship, not by the songs we sing, but by the actions we take.

Amos continues to speak God’s word for our time:

“Take away from me the noise of your songs;
I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
But let justice roll down like waters
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Amos 5:23-24