A great cultural divide is ripping the heart from this nation and Christians are partly responsible. I say that because 83% of the American people claim to be Christians. If those Christians lived as they are taught to live by the teacher they claim to follow, the American public square would be a very different kind of place. If one reads the New Testament—the charter for the Christian religion—one can discover rather quickly what that tradition is all about.
- Jesus tells his followers to tell the truth.
- Jesus tells his followers to make peace.
- Jesus tells his followers to turn the other cheek.
- Jesus tells his followers to bless those who persecute them and pray for those who misuse them.
- Jesus tells his followers to extend justice, especially to the poor and the dispossessed.
- Jesus tells his followers to serve as bridge-builders and agents of reconciliation.
- And Jesus tells his followers to love one another, even their enemies.
But based on their words and behavior, we may safely conclude that many of the Christians who dominate America’s public square routinely reject the teachings of Jesus, in spite of their claims to the contrary.
[emphasis from Undercover Nun]
Richard T. Hughes (via azspot)
Undercover Nun notes that this is the typical cycle in the story of God’s people. Throughout scripture, we can see God and God’s people making a covenant, and then things go really well for the people. Then they start to take this for granted, and they assume that things are going well because of what they’ve been doing, without recognizing what has been given them by God. And so God’s people get prideful, and they say things like “This is mine. I worked for it, and I earned it, and I don’t have to share it with poor people or widows or orphans if I don’t want to,” or “I work hard to have some leisure time with my family. I’m too busy to take care of the sick or visit people in prison.“ Thus God’s people fall away from God, and they are in breach of the covenant.
Then God sends a prophet to call God’s people back to God. The prophet is like a prosecuting attorney, providing evidence for breach of contract and warning God’s people what will happen when God removes God’s favor from them. Thankfully, the prophets also reveal what God promises when God’s people reconcile with God: a time of peace and plenty and joy again. So finally, God’s people renew their covenant with God, and it all starts again.
The problem is, we don’t like prophets. They tell us things we don’t want to hear. They threaten our comfort. Their messages are crazy, and smack of socialism and left-leaning philosophies. Besides, when somebody says, “God told me…” we all get ready to laugh at them. God doesn’t talk to people, not any more! Visions from God are nothing but delusions. You’re not a prophet — you’re a psychotic!
Well, Richard T. Hughes is a prophet. And Undercover Nun tries her best to speak with the voice of the prophets. This is a dangerous path. There are many false prophets, many who claim to speak with God’s voice, but who speak words of fear, hatred, and separation rather than words of love, abundance, and mercy. Jesus had some pretty tough things to say about false prophets, and so Undercover Nun prays every day that she continues to speak truly from God, and not the works of the Adversary. It’s dangerous work, too, because prophets usually end up alone, scorned, rejected, laughed from the palace and the marketplace. Sometimes they end up executed, with their head carried on a platter for the laughter and ridicule of the powerful.
But Undercover Nun will continue to call God’s people back into covenant. The covenant Jesus brought us is one of godly love for all persons, one of mercy, one of justice and peace among all nations, all races, all ethnicities.
May God have mercy on us all.
(via hedwyg)
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