commemoration of courage

“The prophetic mission is a duty of God’s people. So, when I am told in a somewhat mocking tone that I think I am a prophet, I reply: ‘God be praised! You ought to be one too.’ For every Christian, all God’s people, every family, must develop a prophetic awareness, convey an awareness of God’s mission in the world, bring it a divine presence that makes demands and rejections.” SEPTEMBER 10, 1978

This quote from Oscar Romero’s The Violence of Love shows similarities between him and someone else about 32 or 33 centuries earlier. Both Romero and Moses reluctantly accepted the position of speaking on behalf of their people to an oppressive government. And, as we see in Numbers 11, both were convinced that their call wasn’t unique. They longed for others to join them.

[16] So the Lord said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tent of meeting, and have them take their place there with you…”
[26] Two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the spirit rested on them; they were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. [27] And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” [28] And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, “My lord Moses, stop them!” [29] But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!”

(Copyright 2007 by Plough Publishing House. Used with permission.)