Image by Vik Nanda via FlickrIt's a strange question, don't you think? So let me start by clarifying that I am not talking about people who start cults, predict the end of the world in some kind of rapture or who act as leaders in theocratic societies.I am talking about the people who are the loyal opposition, who are part of a movement or institution but who nonetheless criticize it and challenge its assumptions, making room for growth and renewal and catalyzing change.
There are lots of people who like to play prophet, and they make have some good arguments, but do they always have the best interest of the people at heart or are they looking for fame and wealth? It's easy in contemporary American culture to be a loud-mouthed iconoclast, a cultural road warrior and self-styled rebel. Sorry, you don't fit the bill either. Not unless you risk being broken by the pain you feel for those you wish to serve.
And yeah, there's that. The serving. Prophets are servants as well. So do we really need them?
