Douglas Falls
John Miller
08/01/22
- Windstream Mail
R E F L E C T I O N S
Thoughts on nature and the Christian faith - 8/1/22
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"Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness
like an ever-flowing stream." - Amos 5:24
I have photographed Douglas Falls in the mountains of West Virginia several times , but only once at this waterfall which is located downstream from Douglas Falls and is accessed by hiking down a trail and then fighting through thick brush guided only by the sound of the rushing water below. I suppose this waterfall has a name, but I don't know what it is. What I do know is that it is breathtaking. I spent quite some time after photographing just sitting and watching the flow of the water. The scripture cited above came to my mind. God was telling the prophet Amos that he wasn't impressed with the many religious rituals of his people when justice was being ignored. To God, justice is important and his people should be deeply involved in the pursuit of it. In a world where justice is dispensed only to certain groups based on gender, race, or economic criteria, God wants his people to be champions of justice for all people. We might become distressed when justice is denied to a particular group with whom we associate, but God's desire is for us to fight for justice for all groups, whether we agree with them or not. Justice is not earned, it is the right of all. When people like Mother Teresa, or Martin Luther King, or Mahatma Gandhi, or Frederick Douglass spend their lives seeking justice for the oppressed and ignored, the church recognizes the value of their work - but usually only after they have died. It takes courage to promote justice for all, but that is what God expects. If you are a Christian, speak up for those who have no voice, fight for the rights of the oppressed or mistreated. This is not a matter of whom you agree with, it is a matter of what is right. Let justice roll down like waters, like an ever-flowing stream. It is time for the church to jump in and get wet. - John
