I’m reading a little book at the moment called Four Modern Prophets. Written in the 80s it looks at Walter Rauschenbusch, Martin Luther King Jr, Gustavo Gutierrez and Rosemary Radford Ruether. All were prophets who spoke into the society of the time and who stood up for the rights of the oppressed – whether those were people who were poor, black or female (or all three). Many might have some issues with elements of their theology but it cannot be argued that their concern is not rooted in the Old Testament prophets and the teaching of Jesus.
I’m wondering who the prophets of today are?
A few year years back Stocki penned ‘The Rock Cries Out‘ in response to a sense that musicians were speaking out on issues that the church was too silent on.
Currently the media only seem to hear Christian voices in debates on marriage,sexuality and abortion.
Too often at the moment it seems like the Christian voices we hear are about ‘our rights’ and less so about standing up for the rights of the marginalised and the oppressed, for justice and for the dignity of people created in the image of God.
Where are the modern-day prophets who are able and willing to speak out on healthcare, on education reform, on housing, on behalf of the marginalised. In 2012 Ireland who is prepared to speak out on behalf of the urban poor, the rural poor, the asylum seeker, the traveller?
And what is my role? Is it time for me to look for and encourage the Gutierrezes and MLKs of our day and our time? Is it time for me to agitate in my church that we need to be serving and speaking up on behalf of the oppressed in our little part of Dublin? Is it time for me to step up?
Who are the prophets of our day? Can you help me find some?
the soapbox 