Introduction to epiphany/prophetic moment:
Friday night, Saturday and today class was canceled as all of IHOPU shuffled into Forerunner Christian Fellowship for a conference entitled the Black Symposium. Saturday night and this morning Carl Ellis Jr. spoke about black history and, for me, made sense of some things that always evaded me. I always have felt that the issues were far too simplified in our discussions racial tensions! And I've been to many discussions on the topic (I'm from APU ya'll). I felt like he diagnosed some legitimate problems that I didn't know existed. Like a professor he showed diagrams that broke down for me trends (I like pictures!). He explained that the issue had become in the blacks eyes "to achieve or not to achieve." He explained that we're all looking for answers, within our culture, for the the discontent we feel.
Then he introduced a picture of what he called the cultural quilt. The quilt of America is made up of mainstream culture, dominant culture, and subdominant culture. It is held together by achievers. Black is now mainstream! I thought this was a cool concept but it will get much cooler.
After that, he brought up politics and I was all, "ok, why are we bringing up politics?" The reason is that America, especially in the black community, is looking for an answer and historically the answer has been in politics. However, I'm going to try and quote him on this because I think it's brilliant, he said, "If we as Christians submit ourselves to a particular political party we lose our prophetic voice." Did you catch that? This was a really controversial thing to say.
Hear me, hear me, the reason he said this was that he went on to critique politics from the Bible. Liberals believe in the depravity of individuals and therefore we need government. Conservatives believe in the depravity of the government therefore we need individuals. But the Bible is very clear: "there is none who does good, not one" (Ps. 14:3). It's not one or the other! It's both!
This is where he believes the Civil Rights Moment went wrong--by marrying itself to the liberals. Now they have become the Civil Rights Industry.
His conclusion? We need a new movement. The new movement would:
- Transcend politics
- Seek to dismantle horrible policies
- Driven by empowerment, compassion, and inclusion
- Encourage self sufficiency and achiever values
- Not be just blacks
- Based on a Biblical worldview
- A movement of discipleship
He made it even more practical by saying that we need what he calls, "Cultural prophets." He said they are ones who:
- Affirm core values that are biblical values
- Affirm valid discontent
- Articulate how hostile enemies tear down
- Provide practical means to overcome
- ...Present practical means as fulfillment of core values
So basically what happens with me is that I get something stirred in my spirit (I get an emotion related to a topic), and I pray into it for a couple days. [Principle #1: emotions from the Lord can sometimes be hard to distinguish from your own.] Then maybe a couple of days, maybe weeks later (or maybe years later), the Lord pieces it all together in my mind. What I'm feeling suddenly connects to something practical or the world at large through a message a speaker gives or some other medium.
Now it all makes sense!!!
Multiple connections were made for me after Carl Ellis Jr. spoke. First, I get now why the play A Dream of King left so much to be desired for me. Last weekend, the African American Forerunner Aliance and Forerunner Arts put on this show where they went through black history and then gave us their conclusion at the end. It was so simple and profound, true. And it was exactly what IHOP would say, true. But is prayer and the fasted lifestyle the go-to answer in our community? I felt bad for not feeling like it was an ok answer to the black dilemma. Prayer should always be the answer!
Anyway, now I know that what I was feeling goes under what a cultural prophet would feel. Let's see, they did do #1 in affirming their core values as biblical ones. I think they tried #2 in talking about the issue of slavery. But I don't think they were very clear about number #3. Or, to put it another way, I think the issue is a bit more complex. I think in the black situation there are multiple enemies. In the play the enemy was, I believe (and correct me if I'm wrong), the black outlook. It even, in the end, seemed to point the finger at the Civil Rights Movements, which completely baffled me. Based on the complexity of the situation as presented by Carl Ellis Jr., at times it was the white people, at times it was the outlook, at times it was politics, now it's a confusion between black identity and non-achievers. The play needed to spend WAY more time on #3 in my opinion.
And now, #4. Given the complexity of the situation I do not think that prayer can be the only answer given. In practicality, we need the new movement stated above. I won't restate it but I'll try to summarize it. We need to cry out for injustice in a way that is Biblical. Or. to put it another way, while we pray we need to act out in a proactive and wise manner against the things in our society and in ourselves that is evil. Again, we know the ultimate fulfillment to our prayers is Jesus Christ's return and our complete sanctification but why can't we get our hands dirty and grapple with the kingdom on the earth, now? Prayer is just the beginning, folks.
And I don't say this to the point the finger or somehow discredit IHOP for their play. This guy at my Artist home group, I thought, said it so well that IHOP sanctioned things can only go so far. Artists under the radar have the ability to impact more spheres of society. Not because one is better than the other. It's just the nature of what each is called to do.
That said, my epiphany is that I was called to this! On Thursday, February 23 I finally went and visited the prophecy rooms at IHOP (first time since I've been here). Oh my, I can't even keep from squealing as I write. Anyway, the first thing the first lady who prophesied said was that she saw a patchwork quilt. She said she felt like I like to sew things together, that I like to restore people, that I like to call things out in people. The last lady said she heard, "Jennie's an old-fashioned girl." She proceeded to tell me that she thought it meant that I have very strong values in me. That part of who I'm called to be is to restore Christian values to people. There was a lot more and then the first lady said right before we left, "Jennie, I saw you sewing jewels into the quilt." She felt like the jewels were treasures of truth and holiness.
OK, Lord! So I'm supposed to restore holiness to the cultural quilt of America!
Before I had made that connection, on Saturday night I went up for ministry during ministry time and I felt the Lord burning into me that he called me to be one who bridges cultural divides. Before we even talked about any of this stuff at the symposium I randomly started singing a line when I was driving from the musical "Ragtime" and I felt it was the Lord. So I looked the musical up. It's all about this stuff! He also burned on my heart two other musicals Parade and West Side Story (which I'm already familiar with). Also, for the last couple of weeks the Lord has been stirring in my heart discipleship. I want to disciple so badly! I miss my girls so much back home but I keep feeling like there's even more people out there!
I hesitate to say this but I feel like all of these connections make one big connection for me. It's no coincidence that all of this is coming up at the time that my passion for theatre is stirring in me again. The nature of the type of theatre I like to do (ensemble and devising theatre/forum theatre/social justice theatre) encompasses all these things. Hypothetically, I would lead a small group of artists who would use the cultural prophet things as a way to steer our work in a particular direction--toward discovering the deeper truths of our cultural identities and how to implement these truths in our daily lives.
MY FEAR--if I put all this out there I will be made accountable to do these things.
But as I write I feel like the Lord is saying, you are accountable but you are on my time clock. Just because you made this connection does not mean that you are responsible for putting it all together now. Maybe it won't happen (like I said) for another decade. But I can still start it now. Ok, Lord, where do I begin?
