Occupy West Vancouver?

“I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them.  Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them.  Away with the noise of your songs!  I will not listen to the music of your harps.  But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”

Amos 5: 21-24

I’m pretty sure that the prophet Amos is last person I would invite over for Sunday night dinner or to a local cocktail party.  Amos is one of those fire and brimstone Old Testament prophets whose words still sting 2700 years later.  Amos’ words challenge all of us who are trying to live faithfully and leave this world better than we found it.  What is the relationship between genuine worship and the sharing of our resources?  In the days of the early church we are given the idealistic vision of a community that shared resources in common (Acts 4: 32).  By the next chapter it is all falling apart with the lies and greed of Ananias and Sapphira leaving one to wonder whether all attempts at sharing the wealth will end as quickly.

I’ve been wondering about the church’s prophetic voice and ability to share resources in light of this curious “Occupy Wall Street” movement that has spread around the world to include “Occupy Vancouver.”  I must confess that I don’t “get” the clear message of this protest and am amused a bit at the chants of “We are the 99%” from people talking on high end smartphones and pitching high end tents from MEC.  Privileged protesters from North American context appear to look more like the 1% compared to the standard of living for the 99% of the world’s population.  And yet, I am aware that God in Christ is on the loose in the world through the Holy Spirit and I am always keen on discovering where the prophet voice of the divine is audible in this time and place.  Would Amos be camped out on West Georgia Street shouting “let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream?”  Do we see the attempt to create community in the “Occupy” camps as a similarly naïve but sincere attempt to create community as the first disciples did in the Book of Acts?  I’ve delighted in asking members of our church for their thoughts on this movement and look forward to hearing your own.  As you aware some of these “Occupy” movements have been turning to faith communities for support including the occupation of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, England.  I wonder how we might respond to the “Occupy movement” if it appeared on our West Van United doorstep? 

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