...for a reason

We are called to be God’s prophets, speaking for the truth and right,

Standing firm for godly justice, bringing evil into light.

Let us seek the courage needed, our high calling to fulfill,

That we all may know the blessing of the doing of God’s will.

---Thomas A. Jackson, 1973

Prophet. When I see the word, my mind goes to seers, oracles, fortune-tellers, or at least future-tellers. Some guy dressed in outrageous rags with a more outrageous hair-do, straight up giving the king the business. Same dude, few days later, found tossed off the city heights or ripped limb from limb ‘under mysterious circumstances’. Is that your mental image, too? This does not sound like a highly sought-after gig, my people.  

In actuality, the word means something less spectacular, and more applicable to our lives today. A prophet is one who speaks a fresh word from God for the world. You see my meaning? We could all be called to be prophets, listening to the guidance of God as we share a fresh message of hope to the world. We could be the ones called to envision and embody the reign of Christ in the world. We could be the ones called to speak hope to despair. Strength to fear. Love to apathy. Welcome to mistrust. Plenty to scarcity.  Sound daunting? It does to me, too. But our help and courage comes from our close relatedness to Jesus and his message. Prophets. I am, and you are. All of us are called. And brothers and sisters, we have these voices for a reason.

Called to Stand Up

The love of Jesus calls us in swiftly changing days,

To be God’s co-creators in new and wondrous ways;

That God with men and women may so transform the earth,

That love and peace and justice may give God’s kingdom birth.

---Herbert O'Driscoll

“What are you waiting for?” “Don’t just stand there --- DO something!” “Get a move on!” We are all familiar with these statements, or with sentiments like them, but maybe not related to the coming of the kingdom of God. When it comes to the kingdom, if you are like me, the verb that most readily comes to mind is ‘wait’. Now, on a scale of 1 to Make it Happen, ‘wait’ would seem to rate pretty low when it comes to action. Is there a way to wait and take action simultaneously?

Our lectionary Gospel readings this month have been from Matthew 25 (the prepared and unprepared bridesmaids, the managers of the talents, the sheep and the goats), and have highlighted the dynamic tension between waiting and working for the kingdom come. These stories illustrate how active our participation is to be in the ushering in of the new kingdom --- we are invited to be partners with God in unleashing love, peace, and justice on society to pave the way for the coming kingdom!

Now, action should come with a caution sign --- those who choose to partner with God often find themselves at odds with 'go along to get along' society, and Godself in Jesus ended up crucified for rocking the status quo boat. In the end, though, we are not called to count the risk; we are called to stand up. 

We might just have a hand in midwifing something new---all about love, and justice, and peace.

---Leigh Anne