It Has Been Long Enough or, Isaiah Captures the Mood

Reading the many Facebook comments, Twitter feeds, and some articles, one wonders if we have lost our ear for the prophetic. Rooting out things as they are could characterize the words of any an Old Testament prophet. One would think that now that we are in 2014, almost 2015, that even if one paraded naked for forty years we might opt for things as they are.

Once again I think Walter Brueggemann offers a way to think about how we might reflect on the prophetic when considering our current cultural climate. While we may not replicate the Bronze Age or the Iron Age, we do seem well adapted to repeat many of the same errors to which the prophet calls a people to avoid.

Here in this episode we take a quick look at Isaiah 40:1-11, specifically verses 1-2, and identify the mood the prophet addressed. After years of captivity anyone would exclaim, “It has been long enough.” The question that gets raised is when will God’s people join with those whose cultural narrative fits well with the theme, “It has been long enough?”

Russ Moore, President of the ERLC of the Southern Baptist Convention, surprised many and angered others with his response to the recent NYC Grand Jury that voted not to indict in the death of Eric Garner. It bewilders me that my denomination did not rise in unison to echo his sentiment. One wonders if a locust and honey eating baptizer came suggesting some minds need changing if that would be enough to prompt living in the present in light of the promise.

About the Author
Husband to Patty. Daddy to Kimberly and Tommie. Grandpa Doc to Cohen, Max, Fox, and Marlee. Pastor to Snow Hill Baptist Church. Graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Reading. Photography. Golf. Colorado. Jeeping. Friend. The views and opinions expressed here are my own and should not be construed as representing the corporate views of the church I pastor.

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