Constant Awe
The prophets play a vital role in keeping God accessible to all people, free from the barriers and restrictions imposed by religious institutions and clergy. They tear down the man-made obstacles that make God seem distant, judgmental, and conditional in love.
The priestly class often erects barriers, making God
seem inaccessible and instilling guilt in people.
But prophets tear down these barriers,
freeing God's love for all and liberating
people from chains of legalism.
True religion is not about rituals or doctrines,
but about experiencing the depths of
God's unconditional, unmerited love.
Prophets remind us that God's love is unconditional, unmerited, and offered freely to all - even sinners, outsiders, and the weak. They liberate us from the chains of guilt, legalism, and the notion that we must earn God's favor through rituals and rule-following. Instead, prophets emphasize our belovedness exactly as we are and God's persistent desire to love us at our level of understanding.
This prophetic message frees humanity from "learned helplessness" before religious authorities who claim exclusive access to the Divine. It empowers each person to participate directly in the Eternal Mystery through an intimate, ever-deepening journey of receiving Divine love.
By stripping away superficial markers of religious belonging like rituals and doctrines, prophets reorient spirituality around the core reality of God's magnanimous, merciful love. This allows for a more authentic, transformative connection with the Divine - one based not on outward performance but on an inner posture of openness and wonder.
Prophets teach that the goal of religion is not mere "attendance" but constant awe before the daily miracles of Divine love encountering our human frailties. This spirituality is not about sin-management but about letting God's persistent, boundary-breaking compassion liberate us to love others as we have been loved.
In essence, the prophetic voice awakens humanity to the astonishing grace at the heart of the spiritual journey - a grace that should inspire not guilt but profound gratitude and an eagerness to share such love with all.