The first time I saw the title of this conversation I admit I felt a bit sceptical. There's a lot of misunderstanding about prophecy "foretelling the future". There are false prophets as well as genuine ones. In my Judeo-Christian heritage there are many genuine prophets, as well as warnings about false prophets, so perhaps my scepticism was more about being discerning rather than dismissive. I was delighted to find that once again this conversation was enlightening, challenging and grounded.
One person said quite simply, "prophecy is speaking for the divine, however you hear that." We are all connected to God, Spirit, Source however we name that essential essence. Tuning in and listening to the wisdom of the creator of this universe is an invitation and a responsibility.
The four people in this conversation each gave an example of how they 'heard' something that motivated their passion for the work they do now. Steven saw a bumper sticker (370-0) that led to a conversation about how the American government had made 370 treaties with First Nations people and every single one of them had been broken. Here in New Zealand I'm writing this post just before Waitangi Day when we celebrate the Treaty of Waitangi. 
There are always celebrations of all that has been accomplished since 1840 and protests that remind us we cannot be complacent. We still have plenty to do. I am personally aware how little I know and how few ways I am involved.
Luisah grew up in countryside that was full of trees and natural beauty. Then oil companies came in and destroyed "her whole world". She said she "heard the trees screaming" as they were felled.
Mick spent three years in a monastery and realised how disconnected we are from nature and native people. He had a powerful vision of the reality of the Ethiopian famine happening at that time. One day Catherine 'saw' millions of souls being taken into the light. It struck her that this represented millions of people dying.
Whether it is a bumper sticker, a vision, or trees being felled, God is speaking. Prophecies from many traditions tend to say the same things. The themes of deep listening to creation and to indigenous people recur again and again.
In my work as a spiritual director one of the main issues people are exploring is "how can I hear what God is saying?" One person in this conversation said, "Just be open and stop the chattering mind!" So simple and yet so hard for many. I think the difficulty is often because of an expectation that "God's voice" is somehow separate and distinct from any "ordinary" observation, thought, or issue that touches us deeply. How else is God supposed to speak?!
Any readers who have spent time in a retreat setting will know how the spaciousness and silence usually heightens our alertness. One of the best ways to attend to what the Spirit is saying is to notice what you notice. It might be a bumper sticker, a flower pushing up through concrete, a homeless person, a breath-taking sunrise, a sentence in a novel, one line of a song, a dream... the options are endless. The divine creator of the universe is communicating all the time. You don't need to be on retreat to notice!
Notice
what you
notice!
The challenge of course, is to consider why you noticed and whether this noticing is a call to action of some kind. Each of the four people in this conversation were motivated by what they saw or heard. They are now giving a lot of their time, focus and energy to speak, act and share what they 'heard'. They each have their own unique prophetic voice.
We must be rather deaf and emotionally insensitive if we fail to hear the voice of creation at present. Luisah put it this way: "we are digging in her body, draining her blood, messing up her lungs..."
Thankfully, many of us individually and collectively are heeding the cry of our planetary home. Of course, there will always be those who ignore what they don't want to see and hear. As the prophet Jeremiah said: "Listen to this you foolish people, who do not have any sense. You have eyes but you do not see. You have ears but you do not hear." Jeremiah 5:21
History reminds us that periods of great chaos precede times of great transformation. Throughout these Birth The New Earth episodes this reassurance is repeated. A tipping point is coming when those who hear and act outnumber those who turn a blind eye. Biblical references to "a new heaven and a new earth" are spread throughout the Old and New Testaments. (Isaiah 65:17, Isaiah 66:22, 2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1) We can each play a part in birthing the new earth. However insignificant we may feel, we can be given a vision of our particular part in the whole.
Without a vision
the people perish
Proverbs 29:18
Luisah talked of "de-colonising" our minds and hearts and respecting indigenous wisdom. (We are all indigenous to the planet even if we don't have direct link to an indigenous culture where we live!) Let's have the humility to stop assuming we know best.
Steven talked of supporting restorative justice initiatives. Click here for the website of Restorative Justice Aotearoa. We can also empower businesses and organisations with our purchases and support. The web of relationships means that every dollar helps and every perspective offered can influence others who may begin to act in new ways. The current pandemic vividly demonstrates the multiplying spread of one person's actions.
