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Wednesday 10 May 2017

"Heed... Such a Prophet."

"I ask for the grace to pray and meditate faithfully.  I ask for patience, tolerance, gentleness, empathy, and compassion.  I ask to abstain from anger, anxiety, arrogance, compulsive behaviour, discouragement, and self-importance.  I ask to know and follow Jesus more closely, seeking justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly."


Deuteronomy 18:15-20
15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet. 16This is what you requested of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said: ‘If I hear the voice of the Lord my God any more, or ever again see this great fire, I will die.’ 17Then the Lord replied to me: ‘They are right in what they have said. 18I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. 19Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable. 20But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak—that prophet shall die.’


1) "that prophet shall die"


2) If only false prophets did die.  If only those who claim to speak for God, but only speak for their own greed and welfare actually fell over dead when the words left their mouths.  But then, I guess, at some point or another, we'd all be dead.  How often do I speak with an authority I think I have but don't.  How often am I wrong in my assumptions, or information or a situation has changed without my realizing it and my words are no longer true?  How often have I simply failed to check facts?  Truly, I only want to speak truth, even if I don't like the truth.  I actually trust the truth, if indeed the truth is true.  But there is so much misinformation out there.  Some is honest mistaken information, but so much is down right dishonesty in the name of self-interest and greed.  I pray for a humility that when I speak out of turn, it is because I am genuinely mistaken, and not blinded by my self-interest.  Self-interest does make it more difficult to see.  I really hate being wrong.  And I hate when my being wrong is pointed out in front of other people.  I feel profound shame when corrected publicly, why would anyone else be different?


3) What is the invitation in all this?  humility and gentleness when I think I'm speaking the truth.  Humility and gentleness when I'm corrected.  Humility and gentleness when I'm correcting someone else.


"Holy One, Let us speak your truth with humility and stand patiently to be corrected."


Breathprayer: "Heed... such a prophet."

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