"1" Introduction

On the first day of Christmas I wrote to you ONE introduction to the minor prophets. 

Over the last semester, I have been reflecting on the works of the Hebrew minor prophets. Their words in the midst of the ongoing threat of empire and exile was an inspiration for me to connect the biblical content to my students' lives today. So for the 12 days of Christmas this year, I plan to post a daily brief reflection on the minor prophets to acknowledge their context and invite conversation for our current moment. These are the minor prophets and we are in a major moment. 

The minor prophets speak from and to a place of understanding both empire and exile. Understanding a theology of empire and exile is important to understand their word and what it may mean for us today. What do I mean by a theology of Empire and Exile? 

Empire: The institutions, systems, individuals, and groups that benefit from the status quo and use power and privilege to ensure no transformation of culture comes about. It is a preservationist mindset coupled with unchecked greed. Empire exists because it seeks to have unchecked growth at the expense of those at the bottom of society. The buy in of those in the middle continue to allow the voracious appetite of empire to go unchecked. Empire is the systemic oppression of those who have no say. 

Exile: The experience and feeling of not being able to be home. We must think of those physical exiles, refugees fleeing political or climate violence. And we can expand to think of the exilic moment existing within ourselves as well. Mental, spiritual, physical, emotional, relational exiles exist all around us. 

The minor prophets are just as necessary today as they were all those years ago. The minor prophets speak to the group headed toward, within, or just beyond their exile moment. They stretch across the context of the late 8th Century, BCE through the late 6th Century, BCE. Assyria, Babylon, and Persia all sweep in and wreck havoc on this little people of Israel and Judah. Seeking understanding in the midst of their pain, the actor is mostly assumed to be God, not always though. It is the idolatry and injustice of this people that has caused their downfall. This historical context will be touched on weekly, while also drawing students into their modern contexts of empire, exile, and prophetic justice. This group has lost hope in the possibilities that await them. One of the things I have loved is looking into historical movements, both within the Hebrew tradition and beyond, that have used their words and call to justice to inspire the action and liberation of many. From Jesus’ prophetic call against religion and Rome, the civil rights movements in the United States, and the socialist and liberation theologies of Central and South America - these prophets inspired and continue to do so today. 

To be “prophetic” is to take a lonely stance against truth and justice against what is popular or comfortable, specifically in the context of the spaces that exist to preserve the status quo. This is not about and has never been about “predicting the future”. God was never focused on worship, and the same is true today. Why? Because, even the most communal-focused worship experiences can leave us feeling like we have “done enough” to call ourselves righteous, and the call of the prophets reminds us that mercy, justice, and collaboration with God always are the desired outcome over gallons and gallons of oil (line after line of hymn).