“How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire… With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so.”
—James 3:5–10
The church is called to be a prophetic voice, proclaiming boldly the good news of God in Christ Jesus. The kingdom of God is present, at least in some measure, whenever healing, reconciliation, and the way of fullness of life are opened to all who will receive them.
That prophetic voice must speak in two directions. First, it speaks to every person willing to listen, offering the holy gifts of healing, wholeness, and the hope of newness in a more abundant life. Second, it speaks to nations and societies on behalf of the poor, the marginalized, and the persecuted, and for godly standards of social and economic justice—standards made crystal clear by the prophets and sealed by the way Jesus demonstrated how to live them in ordinary life.
The second direction—the bold word to nations—often meets resistance. It is easily dismissed as naïve, unrealistic, or out of touch with the “realities” of national life. But such dismissal ignores how concrete these godly standards truly are. The real objection is that they challenge the human drive for power, status, and the preservation of privilege at others’ expense. Put another way: “It sounds good in theory, but I will not let it interfere with my pursuit of power and wealth.”
The excuse that “we must live in the world as it is, not as we wish it to be” forgets that Jesus lived and ministered in exactly such a world—and persistently showed what the kingdom of God looks like within it. So did his disciples and apostles, leaving us a model of what the prophetic church is meant to be. Across the centuries, prophetic voices have confronted the church, kings, and peoples when they strayed—recalling the church to justice in an unjust world, holding rulers to account, and reminding all people that there is a better way to live together for mutual good and true prosperity.
We need that prophetic voice now—for the repentance of this nation, which so often loses its way, and for the hope of a better future for all, especially the poor, oppressed, and marginalized. The temptation is to play it safe, to avoid rocking the boat for fear of offending donors or threatening institutional stability. That temptation is strongest in this season of fundraising, when protecting the church’s comfort can overshadow proclaiming the gospel.
But it is time to risk it all—not with hellfire and brimstone, but with firm, bold, loving words that call people and nations to repentance and a new way of life. Speaking truth in love, and truth to power, is the church’s calling. To do less is to betray our trust in Jesus Christ.
Thank God for these words! My husband and I have been trying to articulate these very thoughts to our parish, with no noticeable agreement from others. I took it upon myself to send this to our parish secretary just now, as an email from me, asking for it to be sent to the whole parish mailing list.
I pray for each of us to have open ears and humble hearts to receive the truth expressed here, and the courage to act on it in God’s name.
–Judith Armstrong,
Covenant-St. John’s Mission, Junction City, KS