Once I was talking with a colleague from another state and he mentioned how he spoke out against government policies on some issue or other. He felt he was being “prophetic.” Maybe he was. I didn’t hear the sermon. But often enough, I’m afraid, we don’t really know what being prophetic means. Is it being critical of the president or other leaders? Is it harping on our favorite hot-button issue?
I remember one time at seminary, we were assigned to write papers dealing with controversial questions. One student’s paper tried to make the case that Jesus wasn’t really totally without sin. Someone else wrote about “isms:” i.e., sexism and racism. As I recall, the professor wasn’t especially impressed with that paper. I think his comment was something like, “Everyone knows these are wrong. Where is the prophetic element in your argument?”
So, if pointing out the sins of the “isms” isn’t prophetic, what is? I’ve thought about this over the intervening years. My understanding of prophecy is that it somehow expresses the mind of God. A prophet is someone who is so well-tuned to God’s word and intentions, and so filled with God’s spirit, he or she is able to observe what is happening in the world and reflect on those events in light of his or her awareness of God. In other words, the prophet speaks as God would speak in that particular situation. The prophet lends his or her voice to God.
It may include predicting some future consequence or outcome. It may point to the fallacies or errors of conventional wisdom. It may “fill in the gaps” of a poorly understood reality.
Above all, I think prophecy draws people into a new way of thinking, a new understanding. It helps uncover truth that has been overlooked. I think it is a positive approach rather than a negative approach. In other words, I don’t think prophecy just says, “This is wrong.” I think it proclaims, “There is a deeper truth.”
This is difficult and rare. Knowing God and being receptive to the Spirit, however it manifests itself, are the basic requirements.
The church, as I understand its purpose, is to reflect prophetic elements in its life.