In each culture, we are offered the choice to become a parrot, a puppet or a prophet.  Parrots are trained to repeat prepared statements not knowing their actual meaning or the source of what they are parroting. Puppets respond to life at the whim and control of individuals and institutions that dictate their response to life and the venue of their cultural engagement. 

Prophets are different. They have learned to listen to the voice of God and respond only to the impulse of the Spirit. They refuse to parrot prepared statements or dance around like a puppet at the end of a puppetmaster’s string. 

God is raising up prophets who will address, in love, deeply embedded cultural issues that parrots and puppets will never see or consider. Accepting the call of a prophet is a courageous decision. It will cause your voice and your actions to stand out and stand alone in a culture filled with the sight and sound of flailing puppets and noisy parrots.