A prophet is not known in his own land

The theme of yesterday's service was the "a prophet is not known in his own land." Without delving into theological discussions it is a simple but fascinating revelation that the true meaning of prophecy in a Biblical sense is not predicting the future or fortune telling and that prophets are not soothsayers but rather were/are interpreters and communicators of God's Word.

My eldest daughter groans these days when I use the phrase and it has become in the lexicon of the Shack Family, "one of Dad's sayings." I admit to using it often in the context of the client's that I represent; the innovations that they bring to the market and their relative inability to commercialize their products/services here in Western Australia whilst being more able to do so in the Eastern States or overseas.

It would seem that our highly entrepreneurial and innovative society is grafted onto one of the most conservative populations on the planet and that even the innovators themselves are often loath to take on the innovations of others being so highly focused on their own product and are, in effect, blinkered.

Yes, we've suffered the consequences from some charlatans in the past and that has naturally led to some jaundiced views and whereas a healthy degree of skepticism is warranted a pervasive cynicism needs to be countered with plenty of tenacity and belief.

My hope (see Crusaders for Western Australia on Linkedin) is to see innovators reaching out and embracing each others' products so that we can lessen their need to up-sticks and find sales elsewhere without a firm base in the home market. With mutual support they will be better able to convince the nay-sayers. Sure we want to see people flourish inter-state and offshore and the more the better but not perforce because they could not gain recognition on their home turf but rather as a natural outworking of their domestic success.

Best regards, Jonathan.