Prophetic Insanity

What does it mean to be prophetic?
What does it mean to be insane?
Is the difference enough to measure?
Or is either just a bane?

To be able to tell others of things to come,
To say what it is that will come to pass,
Will surely be looked upon with doubt;
Others will just shake their head and say, “Alas!”

Many say that they would like to know the future,
But when someone arises and says, “Thus saith the Master.”
They immediately begin to cast insults and skepticism about
Saying that this prophet is just making the people all a stir.

They will even question his sanity
Bringing into play that no one can know for certain
Those things yet to be.
But there are those who can see beyond the curtain.

At least when a person is known to be insane
If that is truly knowable as fact,
They can do and act in any way they please
And it is really not an act.

However, to be truly prophetic is to know
To understand the difference between
Being insane and being prophetic
If you know what I mean.

While a person on the outside looking inward
Cannot tell between prophecy and insanity,
And the insane do not care what the difference is,
The prophet understands his bane with clarity.

He accepts it fully without reserve
And embraces it completely.
Whatever may come, whatever the hardship
He marches on to the beat resolutely.

The prophet and the insane live in a different world
They both seem oblivious to the opinions of another.
The difference is that when you abuse a prophet,
He will love you anyway and turn the cheek other.

What of the bane of the prophet?
Can we truly see into his world?
Perhaps the question should be:
Is the prophet’s bane his or ours?

Zerubbabel ben Emunah
11-25-2004