From time to time there comes a high-holy moment when a noble concept bursts upon us, and we are compelled to follow where it leads. These moments are rarely comfortable, often pushing the envelope of our normal activity and dragging us through the thistles of change. Naturally timid, I usually fear these divine encounters: I don’t color outside the lines very well. Readings for the upcoming weekend point to three Heroes of the Faith who must act out their holy compulsion.
The first of these is Ezekiel, who was called by God even as a boy. One of the most mystic of the prophets, visions seem to tumble around him in a whirlpool of divine encounters. Here we read, “And when [God] spoke to me, a spirit entered into me and set me on my feet; and I heard [God] speaking to me.” (2:2) And this is followed by a thankless assignment: to speak at home (!) to Israel, “a nation of rebels”, impudent and stubborn. And “they shall know that there has been a prophet among them.” Ezekiel couldn’t help it, he was in the grip of a Power not his own…
Second on our roll of heroes is the Apostle Paul, another obsessive/compulsive whose earlier life was that of a radical Pharisee, and who was met by a holy moment on the road to Damascus. (read about it in Acts 9) To the Corinthian congregations he wrote of spiritual highs, being “caught up into Paradise” and “heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat.” (II, 12:4) But he based what he taught on what COULD be repeated, inviting “weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ.” (v.10) Peter S. Hawkins comments that “it gives insight into what it means to be in grace, in the grip of a power not one’s own, in a process of perfection that brings the sufferer into the life of Christ.” (FEASTING ON THE WORD, Year B vol.3: 211)
The Ultimate Hero, of course, is Jesus–and the reading from Mark remembers how Jesus went to the synagogue in Nazareth, where he grew up. We haven’t the record of his message; but it went over like a lead balloon. “Where did this man get all this? …Is not this the carpenter…?” And they took offense at him! (Mark 6:1-3) Having performed great miracles and healings, Jesus’ reputation as a Man of God certainly must have touched even rustic Nazareth! Yet familiarity breeds contempt, and his zeal brought neither honor nor welcome. Note Well: this rebuff may have disappointed Jesus, but it didn’t stop him…for he was in the grip of a Greater Power.
It’s an exercise in audacity to be a prophet, to announce “Thus says the Lord”. My own occasions of burn-out and despair have been painful. The practicing Believer well knows the tears resulting from speaking Alien into a society which loves money and things more than integrity. These vignettes are offered not as a shallow “grin & bear it” band-aid, but rather as acknowledgement that bearing Gods’ Word is a harsh journey through the Valley of the Shadow of Death! And yet my cup overflows…
God Bless Us, Every One
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Horace…. I really like this blog because I share so much of the struggle you have disclosed. I recall a meeting i was at way back in my first Parish when the speaker, who had been in jail due to protests, challenged us with what it meant to be a prophet? He wondered how many of us would stand up for what we believe, be it opposition to the war (Viet Nam) or the rights of the poor. I was timid, just as you mentioned about yourself. He asked how many of us would go to jail for what we believed? Having already visited in the local Jail, I knew the answer to that one. Anyway, I just wanted you to know this one particularly touched me. Of course, Ezekiel, Paul, and Jesus are tough acts to follow!