Elakala Falls
John Miller
03/15/21
- Windstream Mail
R E F L E C T I O N S Thoughts on nature and the Christian faith - 3/15/21 _____________________________________________________________________ "But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." - Amos 5:24 |
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Elakala Falls in the mountains of West Virginia is a magical place. It is easy to hike to it but is a little dangerous to climb down to its base. The rocks can be very slick and the descent steep, but once you get to the bottom and stand surrounded by the rock walls that encircle you, the feeling of awe is tangible. On the day I took this image I had the place to myself. At other times, I have had to share the experience with dozens of other visitors and the magic of the place was gone, lost among the shouts and movements of the crowd. But on this particular day, it was just me and the roaring waters. I thought of this passage from the prophet Amos as I stood there. Amos was telling the people that God was not impressed with their religious rituals. Their feasts, their offerings, their songs, and their assemblies were offensive to God. Why? Because they had abandoned justice and righteousness. What should have been pouring out of them like streams of water was a concern for the poor and oppressed that was more than mere words. What they lacked was a faith that could be seen in actions that benefited their fellow man. They professed a righteousness that they did not have. Faith without works is dead. There is so much social, racial, and economic injustice in our world and, for the most part, the church remains uninvolved and silent when confronted by it. God desires that his people be servants to the very people most of the world mistreats or ignores. In a very real sense, ministerinng to the least among us is ministering to Jesus himself. The pursuit of justice and fair treatment for all is at least as important to God as many of the rituals we might cherish. It is time for us to let those waters flow. - John
