In the Old Testament, the prophets have a genre of writing called “oracles against the nations,” or OAN for short. In these oracles, the prophets denounce the sins of other nations (some examples of OAN are Amos 1-2; Isaiah 13-24; and Jeremiah 47-51).

The interesting thing about the OAN is that the prophets are not writing directly to these nations; there is no evidence that any of these nations ever heard what Amos or Jeremiah had to say about them. Rather, they are writing to God's people about these nations.

You see, the prophets recognize Empire everywhere and warn God’s people against these systems, lest they desire to become one. Empire ways are seductive, and God’s people are certainly not immune to its desire for power, coercion, and affluence.

Through the OAN, the prophets invite God's people to consider: How are we like the Empires around us? By condemning them, how are we also condemning ourselves?

The tyranny of Empire is all around us, and the task of God’s people is still to recognize it both among and within us today. By condemning it, the prophetic voices invite us to cultivate the Kingdom alternative – a Kingdom that is recognized by God’s presence and attributes.

Those who have been resilient in pointing out injustice… Those who have criticized the powers and principalities at work around us… Those who have called the Church to greater faithfulness… Thank you stewarding the prophetic tradition.

I’ve taken the last few years off of personal writing and now feel ready to return, mostly out of a deep conviction that God’s people need thoughtful engagement with both Scripture and culture, but also because I’ve realized that I still have things I need to say. This blog may not be widely read (let’s be honest, blogs are so 2008), but it’s been an invaluable tool for processing and cataloguing my thoughts.

Part of the hiatus was also due to that very idea: this blog reflects process. Since I am an academic teaching at a higher-ed institution, I have been warned that personal blogs/public writing can be problematic because thoughts change. While this is certainly not a novel idea - thoughts should definitely change over time - what I wrote last year may not be what I think this year. There have been many times where I’ve found myself disagreeing with things I’ve written years ago, and unfortunately, because of the climate we live in, where people are suspicious of academia, what I’ve written can easily become fodder for conflict.

My calling first and foremost is to God’s people, the Church; my secondary calling is to the students in my classroom. Because of this, I’ve felt like I’ve already had a platform to discuss big ideas and questions in that context, and writing in this manner felt unnecessary. I also haven’t wanted to write anything that could easily compromise my ability to show up and facilitate meaningful discussion in my classrooms.

And yet… There is something special about cataloguing these thoughts and seeing ideas unfold, fluctuate, and change. As someone who has had my voice taken away before, there is something liberating and beautiful about showing up in this space and following the outcome of new ideas. I consider this blog public dialogue with myself as I work out my faith. You might disagree with what I say, and I may disagree with what I write in 2 or 5 years from, or let’s be honest, after my afternoon snack. But isn’t that what it means to be a follower of Christ? Why would we condemn this process within ourselves? Shouldn’t we instead embrace it and ask the Spirit to refine and sanctify it?

So here I am. Showing up. Trying to faithfully steward the ideas I have, and hoping to create meaningful dialogue with others outside of my classroom.

Welcome.