>In a letter to the editor, published in the Louisville Courier-Journal of Louisville, Kentucky, William R. Fox, a retired Diaconal Minister of the United Methodist Church said that Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama’s pastor, is a modern day prophet. He wrote:
People of all races who yearn for social justice can resonate with the deep anger and grief expressed by Rev. Wright. He is a modern day prophet, in the tradition of Elijah, Isaiah, Hosea, Amos, Jeremiah, and Micah in the Old Testament; and in the tradition of Jesus of Nazareth. Those prophets proclaimed that God intends for us all to use whatever power we possess to serve the good of our neighbor. To answer the question of God put to Cain, “Yes, you are your brother’s keeper.”
Jesus made this clear in Matthew 25, a chapter headed, “The Judgment of the Nations.” According to Jesus, those who wish to worship God do so by feeding the hungry, providing water to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, and visiting the imprisoned.
The Old Testament prophets were much more direct and angry in their judgments on a nation that ignored the needs of the poor and oppressed.
Listen to selected verses from Isaiah Chapter 1: “Ah, sinful nation, people laden with iniquity, offspring who do evil, children who deal corruptly, who have forsaken the Lord, . . . cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.”
Many people may disagree with the political views expressed by Jeremiah Wright or how his views may or may not have influenced the life and political career of Senator Barack Obama, but one thing is certain: Jeremiah Wright’s sermons and ministry have many similarities with the words and ministry of the prophets of the Old Testament.
Many of the prophets of the Old Testament criticized the leaders of the nation because of the way the ruling classes treated the average Israelite. The preaching of Elijah, Elisha, Amos, Micah, Jeremiah, and many of the other prophets was marked by constant confrontation with the powerful men and women who were part of the dominant society. These prophets also preached that every citizen in Israel, rich or poor, had rights given to them by God, rights which the government could not abrogate.
The ministry of Elisha is a classical example of a prophetic denunciation of the political powers in the Northern Kingdom. The story of Elisha in 2 Kings 9 tells how the prophet inspired a revolt against the king. Elisha commanded his servant to anoint Jehu, the commander of the Israelite army, with the intent of deposing King Joram, the son of Ahab and Jezebel, who had adopted the evil policies of his father. The overthrow of Joram was accomplished by a peasant rebellion in which the people of the land overthrew the government in order to establish another government that would be more faithful to the ideals of the covenant and more sensitive to the needs of the poor.
Another prophet who spoke against the evil practices of his society was Micah who preached during the reigns of Jotham (742-735 B.C.), Ahaz (735-715 B.C.), and Hezekiah (715-686 B.C.), kings of Judah. Micah was a rural prophet who spoke on behalf of the common people of Judah. His preaching was focused on the suffering of his fellow citizens. Micah spoke against the plundering of the poor, the oppressing of the defenseless, against the perversion of justice through bribery and dishonest business practices, against violence and bloodshed.
Micah recognized that the leaders of the nation were responsible for providing social justice for all people. But he also recognized that the execution of justice for all would take place when the relationship between leaders and people were ordered according to God’s divine norm. Micah said: “But God has already made it plain how to live, what to do, and what he is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and live in humble fellowship with your God” (Micah 6:8).
One does not have to agree with Jeremiah Wright’s political views, but there is no doubt that the man is exercising a prophetic ministry. Speaking from a black perspective, he speaks clearly about social issues such as poverty, injustice, the suppression of human rights, crime, and acts of violence. These are the issues that are prone to produce conflicting views and create tension among people who take different positions of these issues.
I believe more ministers today should embrace the call to prophetic ministry. Prophetic ministry is as appropriate today as it was during the days of the prophets of the Old Testament, especially considering the condition of the world in which we live. Why do we need prophets today? Because many of the social problems that existed in the days of the prophets of old are present in our society today.
God said: “In the last days I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy” (Acts 2:17-18).
The day for prophetic ministry has arrived.
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
Tags: Barack Obama, Jeremiah Wright, Prophetic Ministry, Prophets
Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament 
>Claude,Heide Edwards, speaking at the Pacific regional SBL meeting on Monday, put many Jeremiah Wright’s comments in the context of lament. While I think Wright would see himself working within the context of prophecy, I cannot help thinking that there is a lot of truth in Edwards’ suggestion. But then, I think much lament is closely related to prophecy.
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>Duane,Unfortunately, I have not heard many of Wright’s sermons but from what I have heard, I have concluded that his sermons reflect what I conceive a prophetic ministry to be. In a lament of the individual or of the community, the lamenter sees the evil or the wrong that has been done and asks for divine vindication. This is the case of Jeremiah’s lament. In the case of the prophets, the prophets saw the evil present in their society and criticized the evil that was done and those doing the evil.How was the reaction to your presentation at the SBL?Claude Mariottini
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>Hi Dr. Mariottini,I was going to write something on this on my own blog, but something has held me back from expressing myself on this, so I’ll do so here.One thing about the Old Testament prophets is that they loved their country. They predicted judgment, but also restoration. And they prayed for their nation.To me, that contrasts with saying “God d— America.” I read in a book a quote by Falwell, who predicted God’s wrath on America. But he actually sounded sad about it. I wonder if the same can be said about Jeremiah Wright?
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>James, I think you need to take “God damn America” in its full rhetorical context, as I tried to.
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>James,I hope you will read Peter’s post and the comments there.Politically, I do not agree with Jeremiah Wright’s view but I have to say that most of us would not agree with the prophets either,I am sure that many people did not agree with Isaiah when he told President (King) Ahaz not to fight against his enemies. Not many people would agree with Micah when he called the political leaders of Judah “social cannibals.” And Jeremiah got into a lot of trouble when he told Zedekiah not to fight against the Babylonians.Being a prophet is difficult precisely because you tell people what they do not want to hear.Those prophets who told the people the nice things they wanted to hear were called “false prophets.”Claude Mariottini
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>Yes, I read Peter’s posts, and also Things on Bryan’s Mind, which showed the context for “God d— America” and “The chickens are coming home to roost.” That’s why I was reluctant to devote a post of my own to that, since I knew that people would refer me to those things. Overall, Jeremiah Wright just strikes me as so down on America. He doesn’t have anything positive to say about it. Maybe if he said some good things about America’s history and destiny, or showed a little more of a desire for America to repent, I wouldn’t have as much of a problem with him. But his sermons are mainly bashing America. I’m not saying America is perfect. But there should be more to a sermon than bash, bash, bash.
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>I thought I’d share another modern example of a prophetic ministry, that of the recently passed Gordon Hinckley of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some readers may not agree with all the theology of the Mormons but in terms of a prophetic ministry in the tradition of the Old Testament prophets, I believe his calls to action are spot on. Consider the language in a formal pronouncement in 1995 by the prophet and apostles of the LDS Church entitled The Family: A Proclamation to the World:”We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.”I also think his book entitled “Standing for Something: 10 Neglected Virtues that will Heal our Hearts and Homes” is very much in that tradition of prophetic ministry to the nation. His voice and intended audience is aimed towards the entire nation.
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>Dear David,Thank you for sharing this information about Gordon Hinckley. Prophetic ministry is found in many places and those who exercise this kind of ministry make a contribution to society and also make a difference in the lives of many individuals.Thank you for visiting my blog.Claude Mariottini
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>James,I apologize for the delay in answering your comment. I was out of the state until last night.I do not disagree with you and your views of Wright. Just because I called him a prophet, it does not mean that I agree with him. In the Bible there were prophets and prophets, prophets like Jeremiah and Hananiah. In my post I was trying to say that Wright used the kind of language used by many prophets in the Old Testament. And let’s face it: most people disagreed with the prophets.I know a person who used to be a member of Wright’s church. This person left the church because the sermons were too political, too negative, and had very little to do with Christ.Wright’s anti-American rhetoric is based on a false perception of America. It is at the same level of those who say 9/11 was an inside job and that the CIA created AIDS to eliminate a segment of the population, etc.Claude Mariottini
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