A Blessing for Hope*
Dreamkeeper,
bless me with vision
to see the possibilities
for this hurting and broken world.
Help me to remember
that hope is not a thing
but an action,
I cannot know that what I do
is of any consequence,
but I must do something.
I must walk in trust
that I plant seeds for others,
that my kindness ripples out into the world,
that justice is necessary,
that my joy matters
that love is at the foundation of everything.
On those days when hope
feels so far away,
surround me with kindred souls
who can help sustain hope
when I must let go.
And on days
when my hope has been amplified,
buoyed by art, dreams, conversation,
let me carry it for others.
Sing to me of hope Beloved,
and let me be a note in that melody.
Dearest dancing monks, artists, and pilgrims,
We begin another online journey tomorrow, Orphan, Fool, Sovereign, Prophet: Creating New Beginnings in Times of Unraveling (September 23-October 19, 2024). I am very excited to be exploring the archetype of apocalypse and then the Holy Fool, Orphan, Sovereign, and Prophet to inspire us to new ways of responding in a world that often feels like it is ending. The archetypes can support us in finding a way to a new beginning.
In his book The Prophetic Imagination, theologian Walter Brueggemann writes that the dominant culture, now and in every time, is grossly uncritical, cannot tolerate any fundamental criticism and will go to great lengths to stop it. It is the role of the prophet to help “to nurture, nourish, and evoke a consciousness and a perception” alternative to the dominant narrative.
The prophetic voice is not aligned with specific issues but helps to reframe the bigger picture of what is at stake and offers a new sense of what might be possible. In this way, the Prophet is closely connected to the Visionary in this imagining of something new. The Prophet helps us to imagine the world as it might be, and how we can get from here to there and reminds us that we are bound up with one another. The prophetic voice comes to remind us of the call to solidarity with those who are in need and to remember that our own liberation is intimately entwined with the liberation of the whole human community, and the whole natural world.
Prophets tend to emerge in times of chaos and change. Walter Brueggemann describes the necessity of the language of lament which cries out that things are not as they should be. These powerful cries, found throughout the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, help to name the injustice and break it open.
The journey of the Prophet is to tell the truth no matter the consequences, to stand up to the dominant culture and offer an alternative way. The Prophet is not responsible for the outcome and how the words are received. And they may never see the results of their actions, so patience and conviction are required.
Speaking truth can lead to rejection by one’s tribe which may be family, friends, community, or the wider culture. Jesus was a prophet and executed for his words and actions, Martin Luther King, Jr. as well. Once the truth is told, the tribe can either break out of the collective lie they have been living in or continue to live in fear and denial and perpetuate the lie. Most often the tribe acts to protect the dominant mindset and cultural patterns and behaviors. The Prophet is the one who must speak the truth at any cost.
One of the very powerful books we featured in our Lift Every Voice book club last year was Steven Charleston’s We Survived the End of the World with wisdom from Native Americans for how to endure and inspire when the world is crumbling. Steven describes prophets as the ones who herald a vision of what is to come, instruct how to end suffering and alter the course of destruction, and offer a new future within the people themselves. This is embodied through sacred song and dance – through the creative arts. He also says we are all called to be prophets and all called to be open to what our visions might bring.
If you would love some encouragement in connecting to your inner Prophet (and Orphan, Sovereign, and Holy Fool) please join us starting tomorrow for 4 weeks with weekly live sessions and a variety of guest teachers offering rich content.
With great and growing love,
Christine
Christine Valters Paintner, OblSB, PhD, REACE
PS – Today is the Autumn Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. Click here to read a reflection on the turning of the season and view a bonus poetry video.
*Blessing written by Christine for a book of blessings (due to be published in spring 2026)
