{"id":1772,"date":"2012-10-30T15:50:00","date_gmt":"2012-10-30T15:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/rhetoricraceandreligion\/2012\/10\/now-after-that-pastoral-and-prophetic-reflections-after-the-election.html"},"modified":"2012-10-30T15:50:00","modified_gmt":"2012-10-30T15:50:00","slug":"now-after-that-pastoral-and-prophetic-reflections-after-the-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/rhetoricraceandreligion\/2012\/10\/now-after-that-pastoral-and-prophetic-reflections-after-the-election.html","title":{"rendered":"Now AFTER That: Pastoral and Prophetic Reflections AFTER the Election"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n

by Earle Fisher<\/a>
R3 Contributor<\/p>\n

In the past few years, we have given a lot of weight and credence to the campaign season. We have lobbied and stumped for our favorite candidate(s), held prayer vigils, watched debates, given lectures and sermonic selections in hopes that \u201cour candidate\u201d would be elected to a position of power, status, privilege and authority. Many of my individual efforts recently have been synthesized around a \u201cSouls to the Polls\u201d Campaign in collaboration with other ministers, ministries, scholars and social activists attempting to encourage our people to vote.\u00a0 And in light of this, history (especially 2008 Presidential campaign history) suggests in doing so, we have missed or at least mismanaged the necessary follow-up action on behalf of the electorate to hold elected officials responsible and accountable for faithfully representing the best interests of \u201cwe the people.\u201d <\/p>\n

It is the grassroots efforts that have suffered and become stagnant; well-adjusted with seemingly victorious \u201cmoments\u201d and negligent relative to the impact of \u201cmovements.\u201d It is only progressive and prophetic movements that lead to substantial and impactful change. We have been missing that. <\/p>\n

In countless faith communities, we too have drunk from the well of opportunism. Many of us have succumbed to the priestly pleasures of having back-slapping relationships with political officials. This is not to suggest that we ought not to forge relationships to keep our politicians grounded in their theological principles while we ensure that our theology is politically relevant. However, we have been found guilty of taking back-door-deals, silencing and extinguishing the prophetic voice and fire that people of outrageous misfortune have longed to hear and receive from the various faith communities that claim to represent them (us) in the name of love and justice. <\/p>\n

In this past season, I have felt that my prophetic hands were tied, at least to a degree, in some instances. Many of my Presidents policies were continuations of his predecessor, a predecessor who I critiqued vehemently and frequently, publically and privately.\u00a0 And in light of the backlash and uncooperative, filibustering insensitivity Barack Obama was met with, I acquiesced in many of my critiques of his lack of progressive fortitude and fulfillment of his campaign promises relative to issues of race and class. I have empathized with President Obama, knowing that election cycles are ever-present and politicians have to \u201ccount the cost\u201d in order to be re-electable. I\u2019m praying that in the next 4 years our President will be more sensitive to the \u201cleast of these\u201d and not pander to a mythical middle-class that is not only colorblind, but often times colorless. <\/p>\n

My response to our election is clear. Going forward, organizing and mobilizing is non-negotiable.\u00a0 And these efforts must be rooted in something other than consumerized and commercialized models of \u201csocial justice\u201d masquerading as piety.\u00a0 \u00a0I will be the prophet to the White House AND the Trap House, Wall Street AND Main Street, the Academy AND the Church and beyond. My task is to mobilize and empower my brothers and sisters in the faith, within the ministries in which I serve, the academic platforms on which I stand and the street corners that I frequent to make sure \u201cjustice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.\u201d I will keep before the people and the prophets the penetrating question of \u201cWhat WILL the RIGHTEOUS do\u2026. TODAY?\u201d And as I ask it, I\u2019ll be DOING THE WORK!\u00a0 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\u201c\u2026And<\/span><\/i><\/span> <\/span><\/i><\/span>immediately<\/span><\/i><\/span>the <\/span><\/i><\/span>Spirit<\/span><\/i><\/span> <\/span><\/i><\/span>driveth him<\/span><\/i><\/span> <\/span><\/i><\/span>into<\/span><\/i><\/span> the <\/span><\/i><\/span>wilderness. And<\/span><\/i><\/span> he was there<\/span> in<\/span>the wilderness<\/span> forty<\/span> days,<\/span> tempted of<\/span> Satan;<\/span> and<\/span> was with<\/span> the wild beasts;<\/span> and<\/span>the angels<\/span> ministered<\/span>unto him\u2026 Now<\/b><\/span> after<\/span> that<\/b>\u2026\u201d Mark 1:12-14a (KJV)<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Earle FisherR3 Contributor In the past few years, we have given a lot of weight and credence to the campaign season. We have lobbied and stumped for our favorite candidate(s), held prayer vigils, watched debates, given lectures and sermonic selections in hopes that \u201cour candidate\u201d would be elected to a position of power, status, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2251,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1772","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nNow AFTER That: Pastoral and Prophetic Reflections AFTER the Election<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"by Earle FisherR3 ContributorIn the past few years, we have given a lot of weight and credence to the campaign season. 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