Afflicting the comfortable never was popular

(Fair Use)

Compassion involves afflicting the comfortable, as well as comforting the afflicted, but most people skip right over that first part.  Prophets tend to get crucified,  either slowly or all at once.

The ancient Hebrew word for prophet is navi, meaning “mouthpiece of God.”  Hearing God’s Truth (or anyone’s truth, for that matter) can be quite a harrowing experience.  When such truth is uncovered nearby,  prophets are often banished.

A Mississippi school district recently banned the prophetic novel To Kill a Mockingbird “ because the book’s language made some people feel uneasy.”  Allegedly, the book was pulled because it contained “the N word.” 

Perhaps the truth that Harper Lee told was just too close to home.  Perhaps Lee afflicted the comfortable to the point where they blindly struck back.

Resources

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/10/14/mississippi-school-district-pulls-to-kill-mockingbird-because-it-makes-people-uncomfortable.html 

Copyright October 17, 2017 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved