The lion has roared—who will not fear? The Sovereign LORD has spoken—who can but prophesy? – Amos 3:8

Today’s Scripture Reading (November 26, 2016): Amos 3

Now that President-elect Trump is getting ready to ascend his throne, it amazes me that political correspondents seem to miss the reason for fear which appears to be incapacitating certain groups of the American public - or that they miss why a Trump Presidency has become a cause for concern among the traditional allies of the United States. (I get it, not all correspondents miss the reason for the fear, but a significant number of Republican Party supporters do not seem to get it.) I seem to keep hearing this message – we have to give President Trump a chance to rule. And I agree. Actually, I agree that there is no choice but to allow President Trump a chance to rule. The people have spoken, even if the words were in a somewhat muffled voice.

But the Lion (in this case, President Trump) has roared. The words were spoken clearly. And because of what the Lion has said, there is ample cause for fear, especially among the minorities living in American Society. And “How to get to Canada” messages on Facebook are not helping the situation. I hope that it is a very different President Trump who reigns, but until we see some of that, I do not blame my brothers and sisters of various minorities for their fear. It is a natural result of hearing the Lion roar.

This is Amos point. When the lion roars, there is no other logical reaction other than fear. And when God speaks, there is no other logical action other than to share the words that God has spoken. Amos is telling all those who hear his prophecy – “don’t blame me, I am just the messenger.” Do I have any choice other than to speak the words that God has spoken to me? Can I hide the message God has placed inside of me any more than you can hide your fear when you know that the lion is stalking you? Of course not. Don’t be silly.

So what is God’s message for us today? The most pertinent one might be straight from the words of Jesus - ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’  (Matthew 25:40). This is the message that I believe should be on every Christian’s lips, the message from God that must be spoken. Don’t blame us. The words don’t belong to us. They are a reminder to us from the one that we follow that the essential characteristic of a Christian is hospitality. And we have no choice but to scream that message from the rooftops.

Oh, and one more reminder. Christian’s were never supposed to be the wall builders. We are the ones that tear down the walls and welcome the poor and the hurting into our circles of influence. Everyone is welcome in our presence, no matter their ethnicity, race, language, gender or sexual orientation. At our best, we are the ones who do “for the least of these” brothers and sisters.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Amos 4