Eschatology
The Hebrew meaning of prophet, is simply “one who sees”. A prophet is a seer who sees all the way through. It’s a gift and an embarrassment. No one believes you. They mock and belittle you. Or worse, stone or behead or crucify you. No matter. If you’re on the side of truth you speak anyway, come what may. You have no choice. The reality you see, the things you sense, your vision of the future are wayshowers and not everyone will welcome the changes you’re advancing.
We are a stubborn lot, set in our ways and comfortable there. If you go stirring up the status quo with questions, challenges, rebukes, prepare to be blindsided. Seeing is a gift, but only welcome at certain parties (the naked emperor, the charlatan wizard, I am not a crook ~ no one likes the calling out). You would guess a church would be the safest sanctuary for the sighted but not always so. The way things are are the ways things should be stands solid there as well (change happens, but very slowly, and needs a critical mass to get things rolling. Women can’t preach the gospel, is the way I heard it).
Reflection, Re-evaluation, Re-envisioning, demand an inner discipline, before one even gets to the external efforting of change. It’s not in our nature to willingly take on the difficult. To tackle the tough problems of our day; our families, our lives, our communities. We prefer to think about something pleasant. Games with balls or who wore what to the gala.
If a woman is arrested and jailed because she hurt the man trying to hurt her, or her child, we applaud that and look no further. What gives a man the right to beat on anyone? Why can’t a woman defend herself, her children? Who will raise this child now? How will they explain this trauma? Or perhaps it will be too difficult to listen to this child’s pain, and simply shut them up by shaming them (“You just need people to feel sorry for you”. Who wants pity instead of love? Who, I ask?)
A seer sees all sides, the confusion of the man, the terror of the woman, the bewilderment of the child, the duty of the responders, the citizens with their opinions and wants to know the full story, from the beginning, of how things got so convoluted, that violence seemed the only answer. It takes time to know, and no one, (not too many, it seems), has it or wants to give it. “I don’t have time for this” is our glib response to our own discomfort and we feel justified, because our own problems keep us plenty enough occupied.
We haven’t learned to care about the bigger picture and I’d like to say that’s not our fault. No one has taught us how to feel for others. If we’re lucky we learn from watching good examples. Reading great literature. If we aren’t we learn that might equals right and if you don’t want to be pounded into a corner you keep your mouth shut. I worry about that child who watched his mother brutalized. Who will want to understand his suffering? Who will be brave enough to sit with his weeping? His rage? His pain concerns all of us, because he will drag it with him everywhere forever until someone trusted sees it, helps him hold it, and eventually release it.
The word on the street is compassion. Where to get it, how to get enough of it, how to keep hold of your supply and your supplier and what to do when you can’t find any. Wherever I look, there’s never, ever enough.
LBM 8/13/2023
