This morning I read Nehemiah 9:26-38. Nehemiah criticizes Israel because they "were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their backs and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies." I began wondering about the role of the prophet in today's American culture.
Who are our prophets? How do we distinguish between a prophet and a false prophet?
When I was in seminary, it was the Millard Fuller, Ron Sider, Tony Campolo. These voices challenged American culture and how we treated the poor. I missed the Civil Rights Movement, but there were many powerful voices for justice born out of the Scriptures. These challenged Christians to think beyond "getting people saved." They emphasized the need for personal transformation, but taught that the church has an obligation beyond this to the world as a whole.
At the same time, Jerry Falwell and the Moral Majority came into prominence. They also claimed the role of the prophet calling American Christianity to conservative political action.
Today, we have pastors who are openly praying for Obama's death. We have people saying we shouldn't get the H1N1 because we will get "micro-chipped." We have doom and gloom political commentary (masquerading as news) from all sides. People spread the most outrageous ideas on the internet without ever checking them for truthfulness. It seems like the only time we hear people talk about serving the "common good" is when we are seeking to violate individual rights.
Is there a role for prophetic Christian voices? It certainly isn't a safe context in which to speak for the "least of these" and the "aliens" of our culture.
How do pastors seek to do right, speak for these, without being labeled "liberals?"
If I were serving as the pastor of a local church, what would I do? Would I have the courage to be a prophet? Would I try to speak for sanity? Would I challenge those who spread unfounded rumors? Or, would I like so many others, simply keep my head down?
God forgive us for being afraid to speak. Forgive us when we follow other voices and ignore yours.
