But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you

Last night I felt what I thought was the prompting of your Spirit. As a result, I spoke in a manner that appeared to be prophetic, proclaimed that you were leading our friends out of bondage and spoke of you as a cloud by day and a fire by night and implored the community to follow you and refuse to fear those who had driven them out. My word was equal parts encouragement and condemnation. I called our friends to look up towards your presence and boasted that our enemies should look out.

Then Rennie spoke.

She urged us not to harden our hearts in hatred and prayed for those who persecuted her community. She implored you to grant wisdom and guidance to those who have gone so ridiculously astray and as a result have deeply wounded many.

I tried to emulate the prophets, expounding upon your glory and denouncing those whose works appear to blight it.

But Rennie emulated Jesus. She incarnated his command to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. She steered clear of judgment, which belongs to you alone, by choosing to act in love.

I hope that my friends follow Rennie and take my presumptuous “prophecy” with a grain of salt. I am constantly amazed by how often those who seek to lead in this upside down Kingdom of yours are those who most desperately need to be led.