The prophet margin

March 26, 2014 | Viewpoints
Tim Froese |

In our rush to welcome Jesus, we often skip those who paved the way for him.

Consider the prophets, who tend to be marginalized by others or by themselves. The margins they occupy actually become the focus for people and their real-life stories. Prophets often represent a paradox. They call for repentance and radical change while maintaining an apparently unchanging resolve.

Prophets such as John the Baptist are noticed by the unflattering labels they sometimes use—“You brood of vipers”—or by their stark demands for actions that reflect godliness—“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance”—or by their innate ability to question foundations of the status quo and our sense of entitlement—“And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’ ”—(from Matthew 3:7-9).

Paul asserts that Christ gave each one of us different gifts “to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith” (Ephesians 4:12-13). We readily identify the pastors and teachers among us, but struggle to identify and sometimes to welcome what author and missiologist Alan Hirsch calls the “generative roles” of the church: apostles, prophets and evangelists.

Maybe that’s because they make us uncomfortable. In their own way, each of them reminds us of where we’ve come from and what we are called to do. That’s important to consider as ministries of Mennonite Church Canada seek to thrive and grow in the future.

Generative roles are already impacting our overseas ministry. In the Philippines, our workers and partners speak to the injustices of corruption by elected officials. They challenge the notions of power exercised by colonialism and Christendom, and tirelessly present the idea that even deep-seated historic conflicts can be transformed to achieve peaceable relations.

In South Korea, we encourage a church where following Jesus comes at great cost. Some believers risk imprisonment for the illegal act of conscientious objection to military service, while others are labelled as heretics for self-identifying as Anabaptists.

In South Africa, we share gospel and church perspectives that deal with the residue of apartheid and the complexities of a multi-ethnic present.

In Colombia, we encourage sisters and brothers in their struggle for peace and justice against decades of civil war.

And in Canada, we foster respectful awareness of the land, history and trea-ties our host peoples share with us, while we work and pray for healing and hope in all peoples and in all our relations.

As a prophet, John the Baptist not only encouraged repentance, but also baptized people as a sign of their confession. Ultimately, John was aware of the larger activity of God. He knew that he was only the precursor of the one to come, one more powerful, able to thoroughly cleanse and transform a people for God.

“[John] will go on before the Lord . . . to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17).

Tim Froese is the Mennonite Church Canada Witness executive minister.

--Posted March 26, 2010

Share this page: Twitter Instagram

Add new comment

Canadian Mennonite invites comments and encourages constructive discussion about our content. Actual full names (first and last) are required. Comments are moderated and may be edited. They will not appear online until approved and will be posted during business hours. Some comments may be reproduced in print.