John Harke

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The heart of the Prophet

The prophet is a realist however at times their audience are idealists. The prophet pleads before the people to consider returning to God fully, instead of the stubborn alternative of their own ideas. For the prophet, callousness is an insult in the face of the Almighty God and shallowness is treason. The prophet is stigmatized but finds their peace in the presence of God. For the prophet there is no such thing as 'aloneness.' The recognition of God’s love for mankind has overcome their soul. They shock their audience, but weep for their salvation.

The tension of “consuming fire” and “everlasting love” burns in the heart of a prophet. The prophet both feels and sees the sufferings of the Lord’s heart, their passion is to fan the flame of love in the soul of humanity. To ask the same question the Lord asked Adam in the garden, “Where are you”?, and to repair the deep gulf of separation between God and mankind. The prophet feels a deep seated appreciation for what God loves in people. There is a tenderness and sensitivity to the plight of human suffering. For some who haven’t any paradigm for the prophetic word seem to believe that the prophet is venting. However the prophet who has been seasoned knows that their emotions can’t be their own. Even in a rough and hostile environment with a burning passion for the oppressed, the prophet is the loud outcry for justice. Because the prophet not only see's the tears of the oppressed but they see the brokenness of the oppressors, they don’t have a sermon to preach but a burden to unload.

Their frame of reference is much different from the political and social reference points of the day. When they speak they seem to allude to a different world, a perspective that is quite peculiar. They seem to possess a constant hope in an inconstant world, their heart is apt to forgive because God is so willing to forgive. To the prophet, to be indifferent towards evil is preposterous, simply because the greatest evil is being indifferent towards evil. The content of their message is to tell the people who God really is, they are not social activists however, they do confront the establishment. The prophet has learned the significance of God’s word and calls the nations to sweep away every excuse. Even though he or she is not always taken seriously, they seem to love the people even more, because for a prophet, it's absolutely inconceivable to go on living without an awareness of God.

This is what gives them the mark of authenticity, not their desire to prophesy, but their desire to know God. Like Jesus, they weep for cities and nations because those cities and nations see the prophet as an enemy. However, that doesn’t detour them, it moves them to love more. Why? Because the prophet has come to know a person, not just a religious system. That person is God. They’ve come to know God’s burning passion for humanity.

 

Sincerely,

John Harke