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%GOD REQUIRE JUSTICE MERCY HUMILITY CONTROL ACHIEVE 911221

     In Amos'  famous question regarding what God requires
of us, the focus is only upon justice, mercy and humility.

     Amos  did  NOT focus upon ACHIEVEMENTS.   If  we  are
preoccupied  with  proper achievements,  we are likely  to
ignore  questions  of justice and not  treat  others  with
mercy; and when we succeed we are likely to lack humility.
If we fail, we are likely to lack self esteem and take out
our  frustrations  upon  others whom we  feel  caused  our
failure.

     Amos  did  NOT  focus upon  KNOWLEDGE.    If  we  are
preoccupied  with the accumulation of knowledge and/or its
validation,   we  are  unlikely to demonstrate  a  balance
between  acquiring knowledge and justly making use of  our
knowledge in our relationships with others who need  mercy
in  their relationships with us.   If we  are  preoccupied
with  knowledge,  we are unlikely to be humble  about  all
that we come to know.

     Amos  did NOT focus upon PRESCRIPTIONS.   If  we  are
preoccupied  with prescriptions which define what is  good
and  what is evil (what must be done and what must not  be
done),  then we are unlikely to treat justly those who  do
not   conform  to  our  sense  of  what  are  the   proper
prescriptions.    Having eaten of the fruit of the tree of
the  knowledge of good and evil,  we will not be likely to
treat others with mercy, or to relate  to others with true
humility.

     Amos  did  NOT  focus  upon  CONTROL.    If  we   are
preoccupied  with  being in control and/or with who is  in
control,   our  lives  are bound to be full  of  conflicts
pertaining to the kind of control,  techniques of control,
and  resentment over control.   People who are preoccupied
with  issues of control,  are rarely truly concerned  with
mercy and rarely demonstrate true humility.

     Amos did NOT focus upon KNOWLEDGE of THE TRUTH.    If
we  are preoccupied with being sure about what  statements
are true statements, we are unlikely to treat with justice
or  mercy  those  people who honestly  disagree  with  our
definitions  of what statements are beyond  question  true
statements;  we will lack humility.   We will question any
true presence which is not one of our "true" statements or
logically  and  systematically derived  according  to  our
logic from our "true" statements.

     Amos did NOT focus upon any INSTITUTION.   If we  are
preoccupied  with the survival of and with respect for any
institution,   we are unlikely to be merciful towards  any
people   who  are  not  properly  preoccupied   with   the
institution's  survival,   and  who  do  not   demonstrate
unquestioned  respect  for the  institution.    Such  non-
conformists  are unlikely to find justice in the courts of
the institution which they do not respect of conform to.

     Amos  did  not  focus upon the  maintenance  of  any
TABOO.  When we are motivated and guided by taboos, we are
unable  to  participate in open and honest dialogue  about
violations  of  the taboos,  for the taboos require us  to
reject and alienate those people who call our taboos  into
question.   Taboos do not leave room for justice, mercy or
humility.

     Amos  did  not focus upon PERFECTION.    Any  intense
effort to be perfect or to achieve any kind of perfection,
must logically sacrifice honesty with self and others; for
there  is no other way to achieve the sense of  perfection
which perfectionists seek.   Perfection cannot be achieved
without an intense effort which sets aside concerns about
justice,    mercy  and  humility.     Perfectionists   are
preoccupied  with imperfections in themselves and  others;
and  so they cannot be true to themselves or others in the
presence  of  any  imperfections  which  demonstrate   the
futility of their intense effort.

     Amos  did not focus upon STANDARDS of  ACCEPTABILITY.
When  we  are preoccupied with conformity to standards  of
acceptability, we are more interested in the standards and
conformity to them,  than in open and honest dialogue with
other people; and so we sacrifice intimacy in the interest
of   conformity  to  the  standards  with  which  we   are
preoccupied.    We cannot accept ourselves or others  into
open and honest dialogue, if we and/or they do not conform
properly to the current standards for acceptability;   and
so  we cannot relate to each other with  justice,   mercy,
and/or humility.

     Amos did not focus upon ENJOYMENT or HAPPINESS.  When
we  are preoccupied with enjoyment or happiness,  we chase
ends  of  rainbows  which  recede from us  as  we  try  to
approach them,  and in our frustration we run over anybody
who  happens to be in the way.   We then cannot  see  that
justice,   mercy  or humility are prerequisites  to  truly
joyful  relationships  with others in which  we  may  find
meaningful enjoyment and happiness in honest intimacy.

     It is helpful   TO NOT   foci on human preoccupations
which are notable BECAUSE OF their absence following Amos'
question.                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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