Modern-day prophets aren’t easy to come by. Too often, prophets are confused with psychics, fortune-tellers and doomsday forecasters — people considered to have a “gift” to predict things about our lives and what is to come. However, in biblical times a prophet was not so much someone who predicted the future as someone who was a truth-teller. Prophets were people who looked at what was going on in their time and determined how people could move toward a different and more enlightened future. Sure, it is possible for a prophet to observe current events and predict trouble in the future, but they also called out the concerns of the moment. They looked at those concerns, told the truth about what was going on and shared with the people what had to change in order to move forward.

A modern-day prophet

            In June 1995, the United Nations celebrated its 50th anniversary and heard from a modern-day prophet. A bit of history first: The formation of the United Nations marked a time of hope for a new era of peace and well-being in the world. At the time of the UN’s inception, the world had just witnessed the biggest war ever known to humankind: World War II. It was a harsh time. The introduction of nuclear weapons convinced people to pursue peace at all cost lest humankind be destroyed.

At the 50th-anniversary celebration, people hoped that the next 50 years of the United Nations would see the dawn of a new era for future generations and the attainment of peace, progress, solidarity and well-being for our world. The celebration was one of the largest gatherings of world leaders in history. Guests and world-changers from across the globe attended, including people like Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. But the prophet’s voice wasn’t that of a global leader, but of the poet Maya Angelou.

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