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WISDOM LANGUAGE
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2. Is this different from what we
said at Fatima?
Those of you who were present at Fatima will recall that we
spoke about the prophetic mission, the dimensions of prophecy
and how to be prophetic. But now, is this something different?
Are we faced with a different need? In order to put things in
perspective, let me share a Biblical reflection. I have checked
this with the professors at the Biblical Institute so as not to
be very much off the track. That is the advantage of being in
Rome – you can consult the experts!
It struck me that in the Bible we have three
very different languages. These are clearly different languages
that correspond to the experience of a people in their
relationship with the Lord.
The first language is naturally the language
of building a people. Israel did not have any identity at first.
The people were slaves and migrants who were being exploited and
had just come out of Egypt. The process of building an identity
is recorded in the first books of the Bible. And here we have
the language of history. It speaks about the great things God
did for them. They mix history and mythology and glorify some
facts and events so that the people can feel proud of belonging
to this community. This is historical language which appears in
the historical books of the Bible. It gives a sense of belonging
and a sense of pride in being a people who can truly say “God is
with us”.
Once the identity is established, the
prophets appear and now we have prophetic language. The people’s
faith is linked very much with their national identity, and this
faith gets contaminated due to manipulation, political
narrowness and exclusion. So the prophets appear to challenge
the faith and purify the faith. They challenge the pilgrimages
and festivals because these neglect the people. The core of
religion is compassion, and when Israel forgets about
compassion, the prophets appear. They remind people that God is
not interested in offerings and sacrifices if the most important
part of the covenant is neglected. So prophecy always arises
within the community of faith and tries to purify that faith.
Then the Exile happened and the people felt
betrayed and abandoned. Then most of Israel – and we should not
soften the blow – yes, most of Israel lost their faith. Only a
few, the remnant, kept their faith. Their faith was based on God
acting in their history and when they lost the temple and were
exiled to other countries, they wondered where God was. And many
lost their faith. And then, the prophets disappear. When there
is no faith, prophetic language does not make sense. Their
challenges fall flat and there are no hearts to be moved. At
this point, a new language emerges i.e. the language of wisdom.
This is the wisdom of finding God in everything… now you see the
connection to the topic. It is the language of God working in
the family, in the children, in culture, in everything. This
leads the people into a new relationship with God, a
relationship of depth and wisdom. This is a language that makes
sense tobelievers and unbelievers alike. Maybe it is the
emerging language forthefrontiers in today’s world.
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