Prophets, make way for pastors

by Will Braun

Photo: W.J. Burwalde

We don’t really need the sort of prophets who bang us over the head with the ills of the world and the need for us to do something about them. We know that already. What we need are pastors – people who can provide spirited accompaniment. Activism takes enormous inner resources. It is easy to become morally overloaded, spiritually stressed out, guilty. Tension with family and friends arises. And to imagine significant downshifting is frightening.

There are times when we need a word of solace, when we need to be led to a place where we can rest our consciences and slowly begin to confess the impossibility and incomprehensibility
of it all. A place where contradictions are tolerated – even contradictory assumptions – and where grace runs freely.

– Part of a longer article entitled “Maybe the battle is over: Re-thinking activist assumptions”

Comment

1. I really wish I could agree with this article, however, I don’t think the church has come this far. In the idealistic congregation I would agree with this article. Assuming you aren’t the pastor of this church I think we can both admit that ignorance is much more common in the church than social awareness. Prophets, historically, were informants, “get your act in gear or things aren’t going to be looking so hot”. Whereas the ones banging people over the head were the historical judges. I strongly feel that we need prophets, men and women willing to stand up and inform the congregations of current social issues, are needed now more than ever. War, poverty, environmental, political and labor issues must all be addressed. These are the problems we face and they cannot go unnoticed. I have had many conversations with immediate family members, close friends as well as random people on the street that feel these issues can go overlooked and that Hashem’s will takes place regardless of what we do. We can’t continue to sit and wait for Hashem to intervene and “judge” the world. We are being judged every day with economic collapse, natural disasters, disease, famine, and the list goes on and it is all because of us. The majority of people do not “know already”, they need to be woken up and banged over the head and told what’s going on and how to fix the problems. Prophets are reputable men and woman willing to stand and inform us of the ills of the world and how they can be reversed, who can also comfort, accept, relieve and mentor.

   — Matthew Morgan · Dec 11, 08:45 AM · #

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