Our neighbors across the Atlantic are typically less Bible-happy in political discourse than we in the States. So Gordon Brown made news by (mis)quoting the Good Book recently. The British Prime Minister, facing attacks from political rivals, asked his church audience to recall “the great story of Micah in the Gospel.” But Micah is an Old Testament, Hebrew prophet; “the Gospel” is “the good news” of Jesus; and the gospels are books of the New Testament.
Now, I don’t want to come down too hard on the guy. It’s a minor flub in an on-the-spot comment. Compounding the error, though, he went on to attribute a sensible but non-biblical saying to Micah: “Have done with people who are just presenting images. Have done with people who are just talking or singing songs that don’t mean anything. Have done with the irrelevancies. Get to the center point.” The lofty, sort of antiquated nature of the language makes the aphorism sound a bit King James-y, and it seems like the kind of timelessly good idea that we might find in the Bible; but finally it’s simply not there.
He did, however, choose another inspiring statement that is indeed in the Bible: “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” In its context, it’s a ringing endorsement of social justice (hello, Glenn Beck). This charge, as powerful now as it was for Martin Luther King Junior’s audience and for ancient Israel, does not, however, come from Micah. Rather, it’s found in the biblical book of Amos — a different Hebrew prophet. Micah might have known about Amos, since Amos prophesied in the northern kingdom of Israel a few decades before Micah’s ministry in the southern kingdom, Judah. And Micah gave us another quote (identical to one in Isaiah) that’s a real favorite about beating swords into plowshares; but the justice and righteousness quote comes from Amos. Finally, note taken, what an awesome and timeless charge this one for justice and righteousness.
And because I can’t seem to leave it alone, how evocative the water imagery! I’ve just begun reading Barbara Kingsolver‘s essay in the April (yes, I’m a bit behind) National Geographic, an issue devoted exclusively to the topic of water. Water, water, water. Yesterday, a beautiful, breezy, and unusually warm day made for great sailing on Lake Anna. Today, the the soft misty rain puts the last of the azaleas and first rhododendrons in bright relief against deep greens. The dogs cool off in kiddie pools, and I pour another cup of tea. Rolling-down, gently flowing, water, water, water. It’s all here, two parts hydrogen one part oxygen. The justice and righteousness we have to make.
