Prophet-ting with God

 

In this way, the prophets introduced a completely novel role into ancient religion: an officially licensed critic, a devil’s advocate who names and exposes their own group’s shadow side! Few cultures, if any, develop such a counterintuitive role. By nature, civilization is intent on success and building, and has little time for self-critique. We disparage the other team and work ceaselessly to prove loyalty to our own.  Richard Rohr

 

I often wonder today if what was once novel, being a prophet, has become so mainstream and is a role we too gladly accept?  I wonder if many people want to be the ones on the cutting edge, declaring “the word of God”, which conveniently aligns with that person’s perspective?   If you look at the prophets, many of them initially refused the role.  Like Moses, who said to God, “Go ask Aaron”.  Isaiah in chapter 6 says, “Um, God, have you read the paper, I would prefer not to do this!”  Jeremiah in chapter 1 says, “God, I am way too young.”  The prophets were always aware of their humanness (or humility).  And, if you look at the prophets, except Jonah, many of them did not convince anyone to change his/her/their minds! 

 

Wait…go back and re-read that last sentence.

 

By the standard of what humans have always called “success”, the prophets failed.  The people didn’t flock back to thank them for showing the error in their ways.  The people, except for Jonah, did not repent.  The people largely ignored the prophets as odd and exceedingly unusual.

 

This makes sense!  The prophets walked around naked (Isaiah); told the people and priests their worship made God sick (Micah); and bought real estate right before the Babylonians conquered and destroyed Jerusalem (Jeremiah). 

 

If some naked person came into our church and told us that what we were doing stunk to high heaven, we’d call the police!  If someone started to tell us that what we were doing was all wrong, which many people do to each of us, we tend to put our shields up and disengage.  Prophets were concerned about the present time and how no one, regardless of how you voted or how much you gave to the church or how many morning meditations you wrote, would win you God’s grace.  We don’t earn or deserve God’s love ~ that is what unconditional means.  And as grace saturates our lives, we can respond.  God initiates the relationship that changes our lives.  The prophets keep asking, What evidence is in your words, actions, and being that show you are connected to the Creator? The prophet is always aware and open to self-critique, which Rohr reminds us, many of us are not.  We want to be on the winning team, not the ones who have our blunders and brokenness pointed out to us. 

 

Prophets grounded in the present, trying to convince and convict the people of the ways we have missed the mark in our relationship with God, and call us back to another way of being, this remains a mission impossible task, insert that theme music here. 

 

Take a moment to ponder who might be calling you back to God right now?  Who speaks into your life with grace and love about your shadow side, and who does that culturally for us?  Who gets under your skin, but in your heart, you know has a point?  May these questions divinely disrupt and interrupt our tidy lives this day.  Amen.