Prophets or Friends?

In "The Rivers North of the Future" Ivan lllich explains his views on prophecy. According to him to the NT form of prophesy has ceased but the function has not. According to him the function of prophecy in the early Christian communities was a warning against the Anti-Christ, which to him means a perversion of the gospel - an example of which is the institutionalization of hospitality.

Today the function of prophecies expresses itself, according to Illich, in the form of friendship.

This idea is a productive one. First of all, as someone who identifies with the missional church movement with a holiness background and having read the Prophetic Imagination and being anti-dispensalitionist I obviously have thought-through and continue to think through the role of prophesy. I would define a prophet and prophetic ministry differently. Nevertheless his emphasis on friendship is key.

Why is it key?

The idea that social change, wisdom and hospitality can come in the locus of something as organic, authentic and powerful as friendship not only fits into Illich's gospel Critique of institutions but it also makes sense from the perspective of social activists and others who believe the world social forums credo "Another World is Possible".

Some today criticize the Counterculture for being essentially hypocritical. In producing products to consume no change actually happens. Rather an illusive dreamstate instead or real political actions occurs.

I really enjoy the idea of the radical nature of friendship. As the new year dawns I will really have to consider this. I think it is this idea which goes under the more technical name 'networking' although I feel friendship itself is far more revolutionary.

Yet this returns me to the topic of Prophecy. What is prophecy? For the Church, who sacred scriptures are almost 1/3 prophetic and whose Messiah was executed partially on the charge of being a false prophet the foggy abiguities of what a prophet is shines through. More so because of the twin conservative-liberal re-defining prophets either as seers or activists respectfully. I believe that this type of binary opposition should be de-constructed.

In my last post I discussed become a textual community. By this I meant the Church honouring the text as authoritative above any actual interpretive reading of the text. Such a practice would both be out of humility and a beautiful ecumenical spirit. I believe friendship is an important part of coming together in, as John Milbank would say, harmonious difference.

And as Christians come together in harmonious difference I think a discussion on the nature of Prophecy, in relation to the old testament, the new testament and the present context is quintessential. To fall into the old binary of seer/activist would not be productive and we need to pray and dialogue together, as ecclesial textual communities, in order to understand prophecy in more depth so that we may live in greater heights.