The Prophet's Call and the Cost of Truth

The Tears of Things

A prophet’s reward is not material, but the message itself, which remains pure when it is not tainted by worldly rewards. To be used as a prophet or to follow a prophet’s lead should profit you nothing! Otherwise the role and the message are corrupted. [1] We live in a world that often equates success with wealth, recognition, and the accumulation of power. But prophecy is different—it is not about fame or fortune. A prophet’s life is defined by their commitment to speak the truth, even when that truth will bring no external reward. The message itself, its power to stir hearts and transform minds, is the prophet’s reward. The prophet does not speak for themselves, but for something greater, something that transcends personal interests. And in the absence of worldly gain, the purity of the message remains intact. (Matthew 10:8, Isaiah 55:11)

The prophets of history have often been misunderstood because they did not conform to the expectations of their time. A prophet is not a weathervane seeking reelection, but the free-blowing wind itself. [1] The prophet’s voice is not shaped by public opinion or social trends. It is independent, untethered to the need for approval or applause. A prophet cannot afford to be swayed by the desires of the people or the pressure of the prevailing culture. They are called not to echo what others want to hear, but to speak the truth, regardless of how it is received. The life of a prophet is one of humility, of living in a way that detaches them from worldly status and recognition. They offer their message freely, without concern for how it will be rewarded. In this way, the prophet reveals something essential about the human condition: that true greatness lies not in what we gain, but in our alignment with a higher truth. (Galatians 1:10, Matthew 7:13-14)

Prophecy, in its truest form, is often the least licensed and rewarded of any spiritual charism or ministry. Prophecy is the least licensed and rewarded of any of the charisms or ministries. [1] The world does not often honor the prophet, and those who take up the prophetic mantle are rarely celebrated in the way we celebrate political leaders or celebrities. The prophet’s voice is often one of dissent, of challenge, and of disruption, which is why it can be so unsettling. Prophets speak the inconvenient truths, the ones that people may not want to hear but desperately need to. Their message is not about winning followers or gaining power; it is about delivering truth that will stand the test of time. And while the prophet may face rejection, isolation, and even persecution, they continue speaking because the truth they carry cannot be silenced by the forces of the world.(Matthew 5:10-12, Luke 13:34)

The words of a prophet are never arbitrary. They are always necessary. Prophetic speech is never arbitrary or just interesting. It is always necessary speech—the truth that no one is asking for, or even expecting, but that desperately needs to be said for the field to be widened and deepened. [1] This is the essence of prophecy—it is not about being liked, it is about being truthful. Prophecy arises from a place of urgency, where the prophet feels a deep responsibility to speak, even when the world does not want to listen. The prophet’s words are a call to attention, a summons to awaken to the deeper truths of existence. These are not the comfortable truths, the ones that fit neatly within our preconceived notions of the world. The prophet’s message is often disruptive, a message that challenges our assumptions and pushes us to look deeper into the nature of reality.(Jeremiah 1:9, 2 Timothy 4:2)

A prophet’s voice is most powerful in times of upheaval, when the structures we’ve relied upon begin to falter and fail. The prophet can best hear and be heard during times of holy disorder... [1] In times of crisis, the prophet has a unique opportunity to speak to the heart of what is broken. When the “sure things” in our lives—the systems, the beliefs, the structures—fall apart, it is the prophet who shows us how fragile these things were to begin with.

When our 'sure things' fall apart, the prophets show how they were built on illusion and power to begin with, and not finally real.

The prophet helps us see that the very foundations we trusted were built on lies and illusions, that the security we thought we had was never truly secure. In moments of holy disorder, the prophet’s voice shines through, not as a voice of panic or fear, but as one of clarity, calling us to embrace the possibility of transformation.(Haggai 2:6-7, Matthew 7:24-27)

The true role of a prophet is not to seek personal gain, but to serve the truth. This powerful reminder tells us that the work of the prophet is not for personal benefit but for the collective good. The prophet speaks not for their own glory or recognition, but because the truth they carry is essential for the well-being of humanity. They are willing to speak unpopular truths, even when doing so means facing rejection or ridicule. A prophet’s life is a paradox: they live in radical detachment from the things the world values, yet they are deeply committed to serving the world with a message that holds the potential for deep, lasting change. (Mark 8:34-35, 1 Peter 4:11)

Prophecy is not just about speaking—it is about listening. A prophet must first listen to the divine, to the voice of truth, before they can speak. Prophecy is the least licensed and rewarded of any of the charisms or ministries. [1] In the silence of deep listening, the prophet hears what the world cannot hear, and it is from that place of knowing that they speak. The prophet’s words are not their own, but are a transmission of a greater wisdom, a divine message that seeks to open the hearts of those who are willing to hear it. The prophet is a vessel, not the source of the message. And this is what makes prophecy so challenging for the world to accept—it asks us to surrender our own ego and listen to a truth that comes from beyond us, a truth that transcends personal will and desire. (John 8:47, Luke 11:28)

A prophet’s words are disruptive, unsettling, and often difficult to hear. The prophet speaks not to comfort but to challenge. They do not seek to please, but to push us toward growth, toward awakening. The prophet’s speech is always needed because it shakes us out of our complacency and opens us up to new possibilities. It is uncomfortable, and often inconvenient, but it is the very discomfort that makes it necessary. Without the voice of the prophet, we would remain trapped in the illusion of certainty, unable to see beyond the narrow limits of our current understanding. (Amos 5:24, Luke 6:22-23)

The time for prophecy often comes during moments of crisis and collapse. These moments of upheaval and disorder are exactly when we need the prophet’s voice the most. When the structures of power begin to crumble, it is the prophet who shows us the way forward. They expose the false security of the systems that have failed us, and they point to a deeper, truer reality that can emerge from the ashes. In these times, the prophet’s voice is the beacon of light, guiding us through the darkness and offering us hope for a new way of being. (Isaiah 55:12-13, Romans 8:19-21)

[1] Richard Rohr, The Tears of Things