by Jennie S. Bev
Easter is associated with the resurrection of the Savior. For two millennia, Jesus Christ has been regarded as the one who sacrificed himself to save humankind with his divine power as granted from God.
However, not many people, even Christians, realize that we all have the qualities Christ had. They are called prophetic qualities, which are reserved for us, human beings, to save ourselves, humankind and the universe. Everyone, including those who consider themselves polytheists, pantheists, agnostics or even atheists, possesses the ability to make a drastic change in the lives of themselves and others by adopting the so-called “prophetic mindset.”
Al Gore, the environment defender, is one of those who possesses such a powerful mindset. The late best-selling author Iris Chang, who wrote the The Rape of Nanking, caused such a stir that the Japanese government was compelled to finally apologize for the systematic rape of Chinese women during World War II.
Jimmy Carter, the peacemaker, is another fine example of how a person can make a huge difference in the geopolitical arena, with his strong will to make an equilibrium of peace. Oprah Winfrey, with her agile corporation, has changed how the world thinks about TV talk shows and world outreach. Nelson Mandela is a self-enlightened person whose peaceful diplomacy has dissolved apartheid and inspired others to fight for the cause.
Each of these people is an army of one. With or without others, they can make huge splashes in our civilization. While we admire their efforts in making the world a more breathable place to live, we all have what they possess as well. The key is to acknowledge our own “prophetic” qualities and act upon them with dignity, courage and compassion.
Prophetic qualities can be defined loosely as one’s ability to create a significant impact in the lives of oneself and others in a positive way, either through spiritual or moral choices.
According to American Heritage Dictionary, mindset is “a fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person’s responses to and interpretations of situations.”
Thus, a “prophetic mindset” is a mental attitude that predetermines responses and interpretations that would affect one’s and others’ well-being in a positive way through morally sound choices.
In general, we can differentiate prophetic qualities into several circles: inner, intermediate and outer.
The inner circle means we influence those who are reachable within our daily actions, which are usually people we know personally. Intermediate circle involves those who are connected to us indirectly. Outer circle refers to the capacity to shake the world through various actions and have the positive effects received by those whom we do not know personally.
We do not need to be religious to embrace this side of our humanity. The key is mindful living.
While it may sound rather impractical, it is, on the contrary, very practical. By having a set of tenets as the basis of everything we do, it is almost impossible for us to lose focus. Simply ask: What would my inner prophet do in this situation?
By defending ourselves and those around us, we have made ourselves activists and defenders of rights. By behaving in tactful ways that would foster positive outcomes, we have acted politically.
Just like Jesus Christ and all other prophets before and after him. With a lot of grace.
Only, this way, we are our own prophet. One who changes the world, one breath at a time. One nanosecond at a time. One byte of information at a time.[]
Tracy Press, March 19, 2008
