Michael Moore: Prophet for Our Time
(Even if you live in Flint)

by Nick Popadich

Moses. Isaiah. Jesus. Michael Moore? Yes, Michael Moore is a prophet of our times. If you live in Flint, you have probably already stopped reading this. But that is the fate of all prophets; their hometown always disowns them. However, if you desire to hear the message of a modern day prophet whose commitment to social justice is commendable, read on, because there rarely is a difference between the gospel truth and the Awful Truth.

Reason #1: Catholic Background

Michael Moore was taught by nuns. That's more than Moses, Isaiah and Jesus can say about their educations. Heck, they weren't even Catholic. Being taught by nuns builds character. Many boomer Catholics have memories both good and bad about how they were treated by nuns. What it usually comes down to though is the realization that these were some tough cookies who really knew their stuff. Long before Destiny's Child sang about "Independent Women," these ladies were making a living, taking care of kids, and becoming highly educated. What a great role model to have in your life.

I'm sure that Moore recognized the importance of these ladies. After all, his views on women show that he views them as equals. He often jokes about how men have ruled the world since the beginning of time and look at what's happened. He urges men to give up some of the power and let the ladies have their hand at ruling. Would a woman plan the Holocaust? Would a woman plan September 11th? I doubt it.

Oh and Michael Moore was in the seminary. It amazes me how many people were in the seminary at one point in their life. But then again, this is truly God at work. To be an honest Church, we have to have help from people inside and outside the hierarchy to make things work.

Reason #2: Prophets often have unpopular voices

We like to think that we are the best country. We like to drive around in our high-powered SUVs and complain about gas prices. We like to think that the civil rights movement is over and that everyone has an equal opportunity. We like to think that everything is better in America because we have a democracy. We like to think that putting God or the Ten Commandments in our schools will make violence cease.

What we don't like is when people reveal to us that the United States is not the best. We don't like to hear that we are polluters who are destroying the environment. We don't like to hear that our country shoots down legislation to make the world cleaner while approving legislation to build up our nuclear defenses. We don't like to hear that racism is still a daily struggle for many. We don't like to hear that our politicians cheat on their wives, embezzle funds, and lie to their constituents. We don't like it when God seems to be deaf.

But if we like to be deaf to problems, why do we suppose that God would be any different?

In movies like Roger & Me and TV shows like The Awful Truth, Michael Moore shows us sights we would rather not see. We are exposed to the injustices that many face on a daily basis. We see first hand man's inhumanity to man.

Nobody liked to hear about these problems in Jesus' time, and no one likes to hear about them today.

Reason #3: Michael Moore's ministry of social justice

Bottom line, Michael Moore is for social justice. Just like Jesus trying to help the Jews cohabitate comfortably with the Romans, Moore helps the working class not be taken advantage of by the upper class.

Jesus spent his time with the poorest of poor and so does Michael Moore. He was there trying to get fat cat Roger Smith to realize what GM plant shutdowns were doing to Flint. He was there when Mexican immigrants nearly lost their jobs at a Holiday Inn because they decided to unionize to get fair wages. He showed us how senior citizens were being mistreated in nursing homes and how they could be empowered to take a stand.

Moore is also always quick to stamp out hypocrisy as Jesus did with the Pharisees. When faced with politicians who are for posting the Ten Commandments, Moore asks them if they are okay with putting up other biblical quotes in their office that have to do with wealth and power. When the Monica Lewinsky scandal occurred he created an actual Puritan witch hunt to find others who had sinned.

And most importantly, Michael Moore has worked to aid the rights of minorities and homosexuals. After several black actors couldn't get a taxi in New York, Moore rented a taxi and only picked up black passengers. Watching white people's shock as they were denied something as simple as a cab ride, reminded me how good most of us have it. It's good to see the other side. Also, when an ultra conservative Christian group was protesting at the funerals of gay men and women who had died of AIDS, Moore got together a group of homosexuals to show that hateful agendas and hate crimes will not be tolerated.

Jesus & Me

Today's prophets don't wear sandals. They are portly white guys who wear baseball caps and refuse to back down. Michael Moore is tenacious in his dedication to change. But he can't do it alone. Get out there. You don't need a video camera. All you need to do is stop injustice when it occurs. Make sure that everyone has equal rights. Be kind to the poor. Strive for excellence. The truth is only awful if you leave it that way.

Life Applications:

What can you do on a daily basis that would help the world and others?

Are you ever afraid of sounding unpopular? What do you do when you feel this way?

What are my attitudes toward men? Women? Minorities? Homosexuals? Do I need to change any of these?

Copyright 2002 by Nick Popadich
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