Jeremiah warned the people that unless they changed their evil ways, God would destroy their temple. His hearers were angry, they conveniently overlooked the reason for this destruction, and accused the prophet of showing contempt for God's house of worship. The task of a prophet is not an easy one - he so often seems to be on the losing side.

Each of us is called to play this role of prophet today, as our baptism confers on us the privilege, and the obligation of witnessing to the truth. Many Christians in our world are witnessing to the faith, to basic human rights by supporting and protecting the under-privileged and oppressed. For many, this has meant imprisonment, torture, even death. There are certainly as many modern-day martyrs as there were in the early Christian centuries. They should not be forgotten in our prayers, or possibly as people worthy of imitation.