American Prophet is a what if story? What if you had a dream that came true? Or, what if you simply had a “word” you felt compelled to share? It’s not a message you necessarily want to deliver because some people will not want to hear it. Prophecies and parables often make people uncomfortable. Some may even be offended by this one. And yet, you share it anyway, because that’s what prophets do.
While American Prophet and Hometown Prophet are works of fiction, the stories are woven around real events… Moments that are so significant they have the power to change the way we see the world – and ourselves. Even if we haven’t been personally touched by these events, we can still learn, empathize, and grow from them – individually, and as a society.
The disregard so many fellow Christians show toward moral issues facing our country is disheartening; issues such as gun violence, the environment, racial injustice, and healthcare. Why is the secular world more concerned with these problems than the church? Perhaps, it is just easier to wait for the rapture than to work on real world solutions.
Apparently, no longer concerned with ethics in their leadership, the religious right has relinquished any moral authority they may have once have held. It’s my contention that they have lost touch with their Gospel roots, forgetting the essentials of what Jesus preached, prophesied, performed miracles about, and died for. (At its heart, it comes down to love.)
When an “issue” touches you, the narrative shifts… When a loved one is unable to afford decent healthcare, or a home is wiped out in a flood or a fire, your perspective changes. A mom becomes an advocate when it’s her child who Is the victim of a school shooting. Even the most strident Republican can change his position on gay marriage when his own daughter is gay.
We shouldn’t have to be personally effected by an issue in order to understand someone else’s experience. Good people have the capacity for empathy. (It’s what makes them good.) As Christians, we are supposed to be known for our empathy and love (*John 13:34 and 35). It’s who we are, what we do. It is why Christians could offer the cure to a hurting, divided nation.
What if…?
In the next few (brief) articles, I’ll elaborate on why religion (particularly Christianity in the US) is so vital to a nation’s health, when it became so sick, and how Jesus taught us to heal. Thank you for reading. Feel free to comment and subscribe.
*”A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34 and 35)
