Corruption dams the river of righteousness

The prophet Amos spoke a harsh rebuke to Israel on behalf of the Lord.

I know how many are your offenses
and how great your sins.
You oppress the righteous and take bribes
and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts.
(Amos 5:12)

The injustice of corruption has become more tangible during our stay in Uganda. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that Uganda has all the problems and we have things straight in the US. But corruption isn't our biggest challenge, thankfully.

Transparency International recently issued its annual corruption index. Uganda slipped four places from last year to rank 130 out of 180 countries. The higher the number the worse the corruption. The top forms of corruption in Uganda are bribery, embezzlement or diversion of funds, extortion, and nepotism. What's striking to me are the personal examples I've heard:

• Moses lives in Kapchorwa Town. He recently completed enough of their house for he and his family to move in. Although there is a city water line next to their property and he applied 3 months ago for service, the city has not yet connected his house to the system. He matter-of-factly said the reason was that he hadn't paid a bribe.
• John is an EMI staff member who is providing construction management for a school and training facility in a nearby city. On behalf of the owner, he purchased 23 rolls of flexible water pipe. Each roll was sold as 100 meters in length. It was impractical to unroll them and check the length at the supplier's office and plus, he naturally assumed that he was buying 100 meters as they were marked. He recognized a shortage as the pipe was installed and realized after checking and rechecking measurements that the rolls were only 78 to 95 meters in length. There wasn't a single roll that provided the whole 100 meters. The supplier cheated him by removing a few meters from each roll.
• Kathy and Nigel have been renting a house for several years. Recently a dispute has arisen between two individuals, each claiming to own the property. An official of the court showed up at their front door one day two weeks ago telling them that he had an eviction notice and they must vacate immediately. As they were in the process of removing their goods from the house they discovered that in fact there was no eviction notice and that the court official was in cahoots with the lawyer for one of the claimants.
  

Later in the same chapter of Amos, God spoke even stronger words, words quoted by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 2500 years later.

I hate, I despise your religious feasts;
I cannot stand your assemblies ...
Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!
(Amos 5:21, 23-24)

Paul