The Prophets: Part 3
- an excerpt from www.JoshGarrels.com
What compels us onward in our most heartfelt pursuits?Is it the recognition & applaud of our family, friends, fans or critics?If our work is contingent upon the acceptance or rejection of our fickle fellow men,we are doomed to the slow degradation of compromise, and eventually impotence.You cannot truly love anyone who holds power over your life: your decisions, work, identity & destiny.You will hate them yet serve them out of fear, as the pagan bows down to an idol that makes his life miserable & un-free.If the idol is appeased it may grant its worshipper some small fleeting reward;if it is angered it is feared for its power to hurt & destroy. The house that is built upon the sand will be washed away when the storm comes crashing down, and its fall will be great.Our lives, our words & art—these are not meant to be swept away by the power of men or idols,but they’re meant to stand fast, like a strong refuge amidst the beating torrent,offering shelter & blessing to mankind. The wise man built his house upon the rock.We must perch ourselves upon the unmovable rock, like a lighthouse on the edge of a raging sea,issuing forth a flame of hope and warning.The solitude and resolve of this rock dwelling station may seem laughable & outdated in a world of ever-changing opinions & seasons.Yet, when the tempest of the dark night rains down with fury, & homes are washed away, & ships are lost at sea, many will see & thankfully understand why the house of flame rests upon the rock.So it must be with the prophet/artist, & the fire that has been placed in his bones.He must speak true things, continually, regardless of external pressures, criticism, or even opposition.He must live, create, & speak out of deep conviction & sincere love for mankind, calling hearts to hope and to warning,all the while knowing that his work may be misunderstood, rejected, & scoffed at by his fellow men. The acceptance or rejection of his work does not move him from his work, for his work is founded in love.A prophet toils in freedom & in love because no man has control or power over him. Alas, like a mystery revealed, many will see and joyously understand his words & deeds, perhaps long after he?s gone, & in this revelation many will find blessing and shelter from a shifting & unforgiving world. -josh garrels
