Fiery like a Prophet
Karen Ross, PhD.
On a cold, wintry day in December, I gave birth to my baby boy, Elías (Elijah, in Spanish). My dream for him is to embody the characteristics of a prophet: courage, boldness, passion, faithfulness, and a fire for justice. Today’s readings are all about the prophet Elías, my baby’s namesake. The prophet Elías is a fiery person: his words are “as a flaming furnace,” and he was “taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire” in a chariot of fiery horses. The Gospel tells us that the prophet has returned in the person of John the Baptist, who himself was a controversial, brave, and fiery person.
When was the last time you spoke the truth, even if it was controversial? When was the last time you felt truly on fire about a cause, or felt a strong conviction of faith? When was the last time you felt righteous anger? Women and girls are often taught to shy away from these bold and fiery emotions, and those who do express them have historically been labeled as crazy, possessed, or just “too much.” However, through our baptism, all Christians are called to be prophets, bringing down fire upon injustice like Elías did.
The prophets call us to join them in announcing the kin-dom of God, and denouncing the evil in the world that causes harm and separation. By harnessing the power of holy rage and righteous anger, we can join the prophet Elías in his mission to prepare the way of God, and fight against injustices with fire in our hearts and our spirits.
Karen Ross, PhD (she/her/ella) is a graduate program director, theology and ethics professor, and yoga and mindfulness instructor.
Have thoughts on this reflection? Share with a comment by clicking here:
Know someone who would like to receive these daily reflections during the season of Advent? Share the email or send them this link. Did someone forward this to you and you’d like to subscribe? Click below to receive this in your inbox each morning of Advent.
We also have a year round, weekly newsletter that offers a reflection on the Sunday readings, feasts that fall during the week, and a variety of special topics. If this appeals, subscribe here:
You can contact our editor at jennifer@wisdomsdwelling.com.