the task of the preacher today

i came across these words from danish pastor Kaj Monk and thought they were definately worth reprinting:

"what is, therefore, the task of the preacher [or church] today?
shall i say "faith, hope, and love"?
that sounds beautiful
but i would say - courage.
no, even that is not challenging enough to be the whole truth.

our task today is recklessness.
for what we christians lack is not psychology or literature,
we lack a holy rage.

the recklessness that comes from the knowledge of god and humanity.
the ability to rage when justice lies prostrate on the streets...
and when the lie rages across the face of the earth -
a holy anger about things that are wrong in the world.

to rage against the ravaging of god's earth
and the destruction of the world.
to rage when little children must die of hunger,
when the tables of the rich are sagging with food.
to rage at the senseless killing of so many,
and the madness of militaries.

to rage at the lie that calls the threat of death and the strategy of destruction - peace
to rage against complacency.
to restlessly seek that recklessness that will challenge and seek to change human history until it conforms with the norms of the kingdom of god.

and remember the signs of the christian church have always been -
the lion, the lamb, the dove, and the fish...
but never the chameleon."