The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1960-07-15
False Security
Lesson for July II, 1860

Lesson for July II, 1860
ALARM whistles blew, sirens
whole city should have been in
an uproar, but it was going
about its business as usual. Elk
cited officials telephoned every
where - q mistake has been
made, this is no drill, just pay
no attention. But nobody paid
attention to the apologies, be
cause nobody had paid attention
70 the alarm. Headquarters had
many phone calls that day, but
and this is the interesting
point - everybody supposed
there must be some mistake
Not a soul took it seriously.
That little story. if true lit
got into the newspapers at any
rate), shows up very nicely the
American state of mind. We
can't believe anything is wrong
with us. we can't see how any
thing can 60 wrong with us.
People who drive out a fe W
miles from any city in America
may see signs: Evacuation
Route Feeding Station. and
so forth. But how many Ameri-
cans actually expect ever to
stand hungry at a feeding sta
tion?!
As 1t Was, So 1t Is
The prophet Amos. speaking
for God, faced a nation usrael)
smaller than ours by far, but
just as complacent, just as sure
that nothing could 60 wrong.
just as gently cushioned by a
feeling of national security. The
facts and factors that m d e
them feel SO safe and happy
are familiar to any who take
time off to observe the Ameri-
can scne. For one thing, they
we're a nation operating by mill
tary power. Many of it's kings,
if not all of them, had been gen.
erals of the army. In case of
rival claimants for the throne,
the man with the most troops
usually got the prize. The coun-
try had knocked off its enemies
one by one. Just at Amos's time.
the boundaries of the country
were wider than at any time
since Solomon. What armies had
done, armies could do again.
they thought and SO do we.
I'VE have never been beaten in
war, we shall never be beaten. "
Football coaches know that no
winning streak lasts for every.
Wealth and Culture
The little country of Israel
was not only safe at the mo-
1nent from military attack, it
was prosperous. People built
homes of ivory - that is to say,
decorated with ivory in a lavish
way. They had money for sum-
lner and winter homes. T h e y
drank the finest wines, they had
money and leisure for the arts.
As Amos pointed out, all this
streets. There were other streets
where people went hungry and
cold. But the people Amo talk
ed to were mostly from til. e
country-club suburbs. The y
never did believe what Amos
told them, that prosperity is not
the same thing as security.
There's no point in throwing a
big party if the house is burning
down over your head. We are a
little like the Israelites, aren't
we? Many Americans think we
can buy our way out of any
trouble, we can make friends
with any nation just by spend
ing money there.
The Enemy Within
After all, enemy armies were
not the greatest danger to Israel
as a nation. When a wind blows
down a tree in the forest, we
say that the wind was to blame.
But was it the wind, OF was it
the slow rotting inside the tree
trunk? The same wind Struck
other trees but they did not fall.
This one fell because it was hol-
low. a little push sent it tumb-
ling. What concerned "A 0 S
most, looking 1--WE may say
through Gods eyes at Israel,
was not foreign politics a n d
foreign wars. but conditions in
side Israel. Oh, people would
have said to him. conditions are
not bad here. Look at the tenn
pies, they are filled every week.
The number Of sacrifices has
never been greater. But Amos
was not impressed. God did not
care for all their religion: it
was only religiosity, which is
another thing. God is m r e
impressed by jSutice and right
eousness than he is by elaborate
worship services" Amos made
it clear that church attendance
is no guarantee Of a nation
safety. The burning question is:
What do the people who 60 to
church do to other people the
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