If the church of Jesus Christ is to make any impact on the world in which we live, she must return to the policy adopted by our Lord in the exercise of his prophetic ministry. His ministry was nothing if it was not biblically radical. He knew nothing of 'safe' language when declaring the mind of God on any situation, but dared to use 'careless' language. In His case, careless talk cost lives! His language, content and emphases had one result - they raised His public profile very high in the world, so much so that we are still talking about it 2,000 years later.
Just as He did not ignore the problems that confronted Him, so the church today has no right to ignore what is patently and obviously wrong. Especially is this the case with the deep-rooted issues that lies at the bottom of our current moral and spiritual difficulties, not to mention the greed that has contributed to our economic problems.
Indeed, we have no right whatever to make maintaining the peace both inside and outside the church the over-ruling consideration in what we say and do. Let Prof. Donald MacLeod challenge our thinking:
"There can be no low profile on political heartlessness, institutional violence, protestant bigotry, Romish intrigue or Gaelic intransigence. Where elders bind congregations to arrangements suited only to conditions 100 years ago; where traditionalism masquerades as orthodoxy or heresy as theological creativity; where so lose their zeal that they look only for 'easy charges' or 'peace in my time;' where a liberal establishment discriminates fiercely against evangelicals whilst at the same time boasting of its tolerance: these are not situations calling for a low profile but for high visibility and plain speech." (From Glory to Golgotha, 2002:97,98).
The prophetic voice of the church must start sounding out these urgent notes, whether or not the world or the church wants to hear such a message. That the world will resent and oppose such a challenging message is a given; but that the church would 'go and do likewise' ought to be most disconcerting. The sad reality its that that is precisely how she will react to the Word of God! And many in her number, evangelicals and reformed people included, will fall into line like good little sheep. The denomination will win over the Gospel in every case!
If the message of the Cross is to be sounded, then the conscientious preacher of the Gospel must refuse to listen to those yellow-belly ministers and advisers who will counsel silence. These men will remind the 'prophet' of the cost that will be involved if he speaks out: lose of job, home, pension and good salary; lose of popularity (which might mean not being elected to the highest position the church possesses; and you can't have that, can you?); being overlooked for a 'nice' charge with a very good stipend; not being asked to go on foreign trips, or junkets: and on and on the list could go.
What does taking up your Cross daily and following Christ mean in practice? It means inter alia telling both the world and the church what neither wants to hear, telling it consistently and telling it continually until they begin to listen. The great and the good will call this a 'rant;' but what a needed rant it is. We must go on saying the same things until people start to listen. Are YOU up for it? Are YOU different from the normal run of 'prophets'? may God grant it that you are!
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