Pondering prophecy. What freedom do we proclaim?

Richard Rohr writes: "There are two ways of being a prophet. One is to tell the enslaved that they can be free. It is the difficult path of Moses. The second is to tell those who think they are free that they are in fact enslaved. That is the even more difficult path of Jesus."

Most religious liberal congregations consist of people who think they are free, but are bound by consumerism, conformity to social norms, and "the demands of the work ethic." Inviting these free agents to a consideration that they might be enslaved to these "systems" is hard work, but necessary for transformation. It does not lend itself to proclamation, and scolding.

And what if the prophet is successful? Through the medium of prophetic ministry, a person arrives at the point of recognition, comes to understand that indeed he or she is in fact bound to "principles and powers of this present era" - what then? How does one achieve authentic freedom in a society of sham freedom?

What is nature of the freedom that the prophet proclaims?

Is it freedom from? Freedom from poverty, tyranny, violence, and abuse? Freedom from sexism, racism, and classist presumptions?

Or is it freedom to? Freedom to learn, travel, achieve ones goals. Freedom to live in dignity, in love, and in justice?

To achieve freedom from, one must be liberated from an external tyranny, To achieve freedom to, one must be empowered.

The Jesus of history can be read as inviting his listeners into a new relationship, a community in the presence of the divine (kingdom of God) which was within us, between us, and all around us.

Is this a way of understanding freedom? If this is a way of understanding freedom, we might call it the freedom of profound relationship, and renewed personhood. And it promises to be both liberating and empowering!