In the Old Testament of the Bible there were more than a few people who were considered to be prophets. Today we mostly consider prophets as people who are able to tell the future. There is a bit of that, but the Hebrew translation of prophet is more akin to this: “Called by God and filled with God’s spirit. A prophet spoke God’s word to people who had in one way or another distanced themselves from God. In one sense, a prophet is a preacher. But in marketplace terms, a prophet is often a whistle-blower, particularly when an entire tribe or nation has turned away from God.” (Theology of Work.org) So a prophet, then, is one who tells forth the truth, especially to power—often at great risk to themselves.
There’s not nearly enough space in this column to contain the entire list of Old Testament prophets and the warnings they gave to the kings of their day. A simple Google search will yield dozens of sites that detail the confrontive messages of prophets to the powers of the day. Even Jesus aggressively called out the religious leaders of the day (Matthew 23:13-39, KJV). If you truly care about knowing the truth, please look it up.
If you don’t know about Bishop Mariann Budde’s prophetic words to Donald Trump during a prayer service at Washington’s National Cathedral on Tuesday, January 21, you must have been living under a rock. Here’s what she said directly to the President:
“Let me make one final plea, Mr. President. Millions have put their trust in you. And as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.
There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives. The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings; who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants; who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals … they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation. But the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors.
I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away. And that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here. Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land.”
(National Catholic Reporter, www.ncronline.org, Jan. 20, 2025)
The internet has been abuzz with people criticizing Bishop Budde for what she said, where she said it, and who she said it to. Is there any better place to speak truth than in a church, mosque, synagogue, temple, and ashram? Bishop Budde didn’t rant and rave, rather she spoke in a very controlled yet firm tone.
The words Budde spoke were straight out of the same Bible that most Christians carry to church every Sunday. Many of them would say that the Old Testament has been replaced by a new covenant in the New Testament. It is true that for Christians the New Testament represents a new covenant, but does that mean we should throw the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible, out the window? I urge everyone with a genuine interest to read the words of the prophets there or rip it out and burn it. If you say you believe the Bible to be the literal word of God you must believe it all.
Any president should be willing to hear words like those of Bishop Budde and take them under consideration, especially one who has sold his own version of the Bible like a snake oil salesman. They don’t have to agree, but they owe it to the nation to listen and to think deeply about what has been said to them. If they really believe the Bible to be the word of God, they will.
Luke 11:18 reads, “But he (Jesus) said, yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it.” (KJV)
“He who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:15, KJV)
…and that’s the View from The Balcony.
Randy Weeks is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Board Certified Telemental Health Provider, Certified Shamanic Life Coach, ordained minister, singer-songwriter, actor, and writer.
