Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood.”
NL Daily Devotion for Thursday, November 18, 2021
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
This makes me think of our U.S. justice system. Growing up white and privileged, I always thought it was fair. Then as an adult I learned how brutal and oppressive it was toward BIPOC folks. So many of us hear the word “justice” and think about law enforcement—we’ve been well indoctrinated. When, in fact, that so-called justice has been turned into poison, as Amos says. Amos rails against the Israelites for forgetting God, for putting their faith in their own leaders—putting themselves in God’s place. We, too, all these years later, need to hear the words of Amos, and work for true justice—God’s justice—which is for every single one of us.
What do I think of when I hear the word “justice”?
![1 Kings 17:1-16 [17-24], God’s Care for the Widow](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56b39b61ab48de92d991a40a/bf37035e-33d5-439f-a0d6-a68b02d0f1bc/24-11-03.jpg)
