At best, prophets are ignored. Too often, they are mocked, persecuted, or killed. Ask Jeremiah or Isaiah. Prophets warn of the consequences of our collective actions. Mostly, we do nothing to correct the situation and suffer the very consequences they warned us about. Captivity. Destruction. Displacement. 

There are modern prophets. Rachel Carson warned us of a silent spring. Greta Thunberg keeps telling us the world is on fire. Gene Robinson calls us to love LGBTQ+ folks. William Barber and Pope Francis call us to serve the poor. Martin Luther King, Jr. warned us of the consequences of America’s original sins. César Chávez called us to treat migrant farm workers with respect. At risk to themselves, they spoke out against all forms of injustice, whether it be racial, environmental, economic, or sociopolitical. 

It behooves us to listen.