Today’s text comes from the prophet Isaiah:
Ah, you who make iniquitous decrees, who write oppressive statutes, to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be your spoil, and that you may make the orphans your prey! What will you do on the day of punishment, in the calamity that will come from far away? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth, so as not to crouch among the prisoners or fall among the slain? For all this his anger has not turned away; his hand is stretched out still.234 (Isaiah 10: 1-3)
If Bob cheats Sam, that is wrong, and it should be fixed. This is the sort of injustice we often think about-someone using their power to take advantage of another. However, in scripture we see the harshest words reserved for systemic injustice: That is, injustice that is impersonal and the result of systems and organizations. Another phrase used by some scholars for this is ‘domination systems’. A biblical example we are all familiar with would be the tax laws of 1st Century Roman Empire (ever wonder why so much hatred was addressed toward tax collectors in the Gospels?). A recent example would be the ‘separate but equal’ laws in the US or Apartheid in South Africa.
God views power as a gift, to be used in the defense of those who are left behind, those who are doing without, those who are vulnerable and oppressed. When that power is used instead to increase the wealth of the wealthy and to create hardship for the poor, the power structure has sided itself against God.
This particular passage is the fourth, and last, woe addressed to Israel, all ending with the phrase-
For all this his anger has not turned away; his hand is stretched out still.234
This is the hand of Judgment, the hand of anger. In short, God is ticked.
In my work with the homeless and very poor, I see this sort of thing all the time. Just one example is the ‘anti-camping’ ordinances many cities have. This is not geared to keeping Joe and Suzie Homemaker from camping out in the park, with the tent, the Coleman lantern and the Igloo cooler. No, this sort of law is passed to keep people from sleeping in public. This is how it plays out:
Ron is homeless, and cannot get into the shelter. So he sleeps outside, hidden behind a building. As you can imagine, it is not restful sleep, so he is sleepy the next day. He sits on a park bench and dozes off. A police officer writes him a ticket for “camping in the park” (!). He dozed off, for crying out loud…
In any event, Ron goes to court, where he faces a fine, somewhere in the area of $100, which, of course he cannot pay, being homeless. Then he faces court costs of $120, which he also cannot pay. So, he gets sent to Jail for 30 days… for being poor.
This is but one example at a very low level. There are many instances of laws, systems, policies and structures designed to keep the poor in their place while benefiting those who have more resources. Can you think of any?
