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Subverting The Empire: Agitating

Part One - Why We Do What We Do
Part Two - Dangerous Criticism
Part Three - Undermining

I’m sorry I haven’t written again sooner. But other thoughts have been filling my mind of late. But back to the work of subverting the empire.

When most of us think the word “agitation” thoughts of whiny children come to mind. Or bad memories of the kid who used to always act out in class. Or ahem . . . ahem . . . thumped our ears on the back of the bus. We usually equate agitation with a mild to moderate annoyance.

But what if agitation didn’t carry with it such negative connotations.

My new favorite dictionary (Word Source: the social dictionary) defines “agitation” as - the act of exerting oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person; be an advocate for; try to stir up public opinion.

This is the role that the prophets played in the Old Testament. They agitated people. Sometimes they were agitating the Israelites. Whispering and shouting the words of God. At other times they were agitating the ruling governments. Critiquing and calling out the oppressive regimes that ran counter-current to God’s reign. In both cases, the act of agitation was a central component to stirring up people towards repentance.

This is the case with Elijah, who God was using to stir up the Israelites (in this particular case the prophet’s audience was both the “Christians’ and the “empire”). At this time Ahab was the king of Israel. By all accounts, Ahab was a very poor king by God’s standards. He was at the end of a long line of Israel’s kinds who encouraged worship to Baal and even killed some of the prophets. You may also know him as Jezebel’s man.

Elijah shows up and starts telling Ahab that God isn’t happy. And that some bad stuff is about to go down. Starting with years of drought.

Obviously Ahab isn’t too happy. As a king in power and as a leader with tons to lose if there is financial and physical damage to his kingdom (not to mention the unrest that will naturally arise) this news doesn’t make him to happy. Elijah is agitating him.

So much so that when they finally meet . . . Ahab calls Elijah the “troubler of Israel” (1 Kings 18:17).

All of the biblical prophets carried this “streak” of agitation. Jeremiah with his wooden yoke around his neck and his performance art in the streets among the people certainly agitated them to no end. He got on their nerves so much that he got put in jail is generally considered one of the most persecuted of the prophets. Ezekiel would have almost certainly agitated everyone with his theatrics and “odd behavior”. And Isaiah would have the same fate with his constant call to the empire and faith community to awaken from their apathy and to leave their positions of power to live with those that are oppressed.

Agitation is what makes the prophet un-popular. It’s what puts him on the outside. It’s what gets him persecuted. It’s what gets him in trouble.

Nonetheless, the act of subversion is deeply tied to the act of agitating.

The sad and honest truth is that we all too quickly forget about those that aren’t in our immediate circle. We forget that our actions have consequences unless the consequences affect us. We forget that everything that we have and do is interconnected with someone else. We forget that despite our present and temporary comfort that there are others who are suffering.

This is why we should “exert ourselves continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person . . . be an advocate for those who need an advocate”.

Or maybe the metaphor of an annoying child isn’t so bad after all. ”

Like a child who hasn’t been fed . . . whose cry is an act of reminding those in charge that its time to be fed.

Like a child who isn’t getting the attention they deserve . . . who pulls on her mom’s leg to get her to notice what’s below.

Like a child who doesn’t receive the love of second changes . . . who acts out and tries to find other ways to fill that void.

Like a child who in every act of “annoyance” is crying out to be heard.

Agitating those who have formed deaf ears is our call.

Agitating those who have turned a blind eye is our call.

Agitating those who have closed their mouths is our call.

Agitating those who have created a calloused heart is our call.

We are the prophets. And we should be agitate until justice is done.

[tags]Subverting The Empire, Dangerous Criticism, Agitation, Word Source, Social Dictionary[/tags]

© 2007 IAmJoshBrown.