02 Jun 2009 |
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Modern Prophets and Our Salvation Elimma C. Ezeani In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the prophets mediated between God and His people. Far from seeking prophecy as an occupation, those truly called by God seem to have had this duty imposed on them. This is obvious from their utterances and their complete detachment from public opinion, admiration, wealth or, fame. Indeed many of them appear reluctant to do the work such as Jeremiah unfairly regarded as the prophet of doom because he warned of the disasters that would come upon a people who refused to listen to God. Today, prophets are not reluctant servants. The modern prophet is an authority unto himself and a god among men. When Isaiah the greatest of the prophets and others preached their common message of repentance, they often brought news which made a sensual people uncomfortable with its demand for frugality, temperance, and simplicity. On the contrary, modern prophets rouse others to inordinate ambition, covetousness and, a narcissistic display of fame and fortune aka ‘God’s favour’. We see in the conscience-tugging words of prophets of old, the marks of a genuine calling – honesty, detachment, courage, concern for society, truth. For instance, Isaiah who lived at a critical time in Israel’s history with the threat of the King of Assyria and during the reign of the unworthy Ahaz prophesied the reason why the people’s fasts did not save them from their troubles. Isaiah declared that this was because ‘in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure and oppress all your workers; you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with wicked fist’. To the people, he spoke the mind of God: ‘Is this not the fast that I choose: to loose the bond of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free and to break the yoke’. Isaiah knew that national wickedness was the reason why Israel’s petitions went unanswered. He said: ‘the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or His ears dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you so that He does not hear’. To God he admitted Israel’s guilt saying: ‘We look for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us. For our transgressions are multiplied before thee and our sins testify against us.’ Modern prophets are more likely to be seen posing for the cameras, boasting about their powers, worrying about the administration of their parishes or, agonising over the best way to recruit more converts, than to engage in actions similar to the one above in chapters fifty-eight and fifty-nine of the book of Isaiah in the Holy Bible. They would rather preach passages about the rewards of Christianity. But even this is done selectively. In the most famous preaching exercise of Jesus - the Beatitudes, modern prophets prefer to single out the following words: ‘Blessed are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of man. Rejoice, when that day comes and dance for joy, look!- your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way your ancestors treated the prophets.’ The attachment to this particular beatitude is revealing of the character of modern prophets and their followers. It elevates ‘the believer’ to the status of Jesus the Christ who for his beliefs, was crucified as a criminal. It is the reference point for many who upon becoming ‘born again’ (in the loose sense of the word), immediately turn their backs on their family and friends without remorse, in the understanding that their reward is great in heaven. That may well be so. Nevertheless, while they are here on earth, it may be beneficial for modern prophets to assist us in bringing about the rewards which Jesus actually wanted for people here on earth – the reward of a just society. Modern prophets however tend to a particular kind of reward, not the reward of heaven or abstract rewards like peace and, joy. The rewards they preach must be visible to everyone else to qualify as a reward from God. People should get jobs - high paying ones; women should find rich husbands; men should find good wives. Every couple should have beautiful healthy children and every rich person should become richer. The details of how these wonders happen are nobody’s business. Modern prophets do not criticise oppressive regimes; they do not counsel against the iniquities harboured in the minds and lives of their congregation; they do not warn that these iniquities cry to the Lord for vengeance. What is more, there is hardly any pragmatist approach to the ability or capacity of people to gain their desires - as long as you worship, even if you don’t study for your exams, you will pass. One of their favourite quotes from Jesus is this: ‘I have come that you may have life and have it in abundance;’ interpreted to mean that Jesus’ redemption guarantees a life free from pain and hardship as long as the magician (aka man/woman of God) waves the magic wand. They either ignore or most likely disregard, the ‘Good News’ of Jesus – that the world will be made good when men and women love God and do good to each other. This last and central message of Christianity alas is too simple and sadly, generates little income. It doesn’t fill up seats. More profitable is the allusion to the miracles of Jesus, to the self-affirming words of Paul and, to the exhortations in Hebrews. Cleverly, religion is marketed in words which attract people but don’t disturb their conscience. Of Jesus’ hard-hitting admonitions, modern prophets are not too keen. In that famous Sermon on the Mount found in chapter five of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus asked his listeners: not to kill; not to insult others; not to commit adultery or look at another lustfully; not to break the marriage covenant; not to swear; to give unreservedly; to pray for enemies; not to draw attention to their good works; not to draw attention to their piety such as praying so that others may see; and not to pray with empty phrases in the belief that God answers prayers with heavy words. He taught the people to pray to God for their daily bread; to forgive others; not to draw attention to themselves when they fast; not to be consumed with seeking the treasures of this world; not to be anxious about life but to trust in God. He asked them not to occupy themselves with judging others and, to do unto others as they would want others to do unto them. No; modern prophets are preoccupied with extending their hold on a society weakened by failures and disappointments. In the spirit of Christianity, they welcome everyone – saint and sinner, and then refuse to preach the necessary repentance. They set themselves up as religious leaders and then neglect their obligation to demand a just society for the people from their political counterparts. They hold themselves out as messengers of God and then live like the lowest of men – greedy for money, power and ambition. They teach only the nice bits of the Holy Bible and stay silent on the critical points of Christianity. Jesus the carpenter of Nazareth did not come to put on a show about salvation. There was an essential moral in his life and, death: that one must have the courage to stand up for truth; that those who work for God must be prepared to challenge corrupt authority and to work for the greater good of the people; that God’s prophets should practice God’s words. Those who crucified Christ did so for the simple reason that His words were hard on their consciences. Do those who listen to our Prophets leave the assembly determined to be better people or do they depart dancing because their consciences have not been troubled at all? As they have arrogated to themselves the task of bringing us to our salvation, modern prophets must know that we know they are failing miserably. They have let our country slide further and further into iniquity as they and their incomes have grown larger and larger. People go hungry while they punctuate every sentence with God’s name. They tell us to have faith and ignore our outstretched arms. Mothers die in childbirth and children walk barefoot, tired and hungry, with no hope of education or a life better than their parents have had. Our prophets wine and dine with those whom we know have brought us low and do nothing to tell them the truth. Against the counsel of Christ, they encourage to shout and pray with loud voices and many words, not caring that we disturb the peace of others and make a nuisance of ourselves in the community. They smile and clap at our desires for signs and wonders and keep silent about our lack of faith in our ability to work and to directly improve our lives. They tell us to come to the churches and spend our entire day and night there dancing and singing, waiting for miracles to happen; waiting for miracles which we have already been equipped with our able hands and feet to wrought if we can only find the jobs or create them ourselves. And when we, disillusioned with trying to be good and tired of seeing others suddenly acquiring wealth beyond our wildest expectations become greedy and do evil ourselves, they accept our tithes and donations and bless us. They ignore the restless cries of our consciences which tell us that we have done wrong, instead they tell us that as long as we have faith, we will go to heaven. We may say ‘Amen!’ to their words, but deep down we know the truth. We struggle with our consciences tossing restlessly unable to sleep because of our sins that burden us. We see daily in our country, the problems our prophets refuse to address. We see how they let God’s children suffer while they turn away their eyes. We see how they let the political leaders get away without admonition; how they ignore their duty to the people in order to satisfy themselves. We know they are human. We know they are also weak even though they pretend they are not. Sometimes we even sympathise with their fears about speaking up against the tyranny around us. But even more, we worry about them and about their own salvation. We worry that they may not really know the Bible well enough. Do they know the concluding words of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount? ‘Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do mighty works in your name? And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.”’ Perhaps having celebrated along with other Christians this past Sunday the Feast of Pentecost, with its outpouring of the Holy Spirit which gave the Apostles of Jesus the courage to speak the truth and proclaim the Good News, our prophets may also have received a spark of the Divine Fire. We can only pray and hope that they have received a spirit of renewal: the courage to live, to teach and, to preach the Good News in a country that desperately needs to hear it - not just for our own sake but also for themselves as well, because therein lies their own salvation.
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