We begin again with "The Prophetic Imagination" by Walter Brueggemann.
In offering symbols the prophet has two tasks. One is to mine the memory of this people and educate them to use the tools of hope. The other is to recognize how singularly words, speech, language, and phrase shape consciousness and define reality. The prophet is the one who, by use of these tools of hope, contradicts the presumed world of the kings, showing both that that presumed world does not square with the facts and that we have been taught a lie and have believed it because the people with the hardware and the printing press told us it was that way.
We are always in need of the voice of prophets. For we can be sure there will be those who have the power to control how the world is shaped and then insist that we must fit into their world. As strong as those voices of power may be, the prophet needs to remain strong and persistent so that we continue to hear the voice of our God over the voice of the gods of the day. Just turn on the television and watch how those in power attempt to tell the stories of this day in their way even when it may not be the truth. The prophets bring us hope when those voices appear to prevail among us.
Connection: Be critical of what you hear and see. It is so important to have some understanding of who might be the power behind the voices that try to write the history of the day.
Lord, send us a word of truth from those you have called to bring the vision of your peaceable Reign to all your beloved people. When the winds of the day try to sweep us away, send the breeze of your Spirit to lift us up to your way of new life. Amen.
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