The challenge of creating a prophetic community
has always been big for me.
A prophet sees something that needs changing,
names it,
calls others to examine it in light of the faith story,
and then challenges them to respond with some kind of action.
There always are great prophetic leaders
in our midst.
Gordon Cosby, Dr. King, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton
come to mind.
Prophetic movements such as
the Black Panthers, PFLAG, and
FLOC also have major influence.
Much as we value prophetic leaders and movements,
our challenge in Seekers has been
to be prophetic as a group,
to be a prophetic community.
That means re-inventing for our times
what it means to embody
compassion and justice
in our homes, at work,
in the community and the whole earth.
It means staying alert to societal challenges
as well as internal challenges,
and to be open to engaging each on their own terms,
being in the push-pull of giving attention to
a situation we might like to avoid,
and then taking the time necessary to discern
what actions will produce a truly
loving and creative situation.
I believe everyone potentially has a prophetic piece to offer.
A prophetic community
makes room for each person to develop
their own prophetic word,
"hears them into speech",
and then responds as deeply as possible
to what they bring.