Prophetic Witness in a Time of Brokenness
We Conspire is a series from the Center for Action and Contemplation featuring wisdom and stories from the growing Christian contemplative movement. Sign up for the monthly email series and receive a free invitation to practice each month.
What action does witnessing societal injustices inspire in you? In May’s “We Conspire” series, Chrystal McCowan with Surge Network reflects on how personal transformation, the role of her own empowered voice, and deep engagement in political realities awaken a call to prophetic witness. Through Neighbor’s Table and her own commitment to contemplation, she joins with her community to imagine new possibilities rooted in shalom, or God’s realm of wholeness, justice, and peace.
In her work with Surge Network, Chrystal McGowan emphasizes the importance of prophetic witness. “Prophetic witness is not a relic of the past. Instead, it advocates for voices that are unheard, to elevate stories of individuals who are ensnared by a system that is currently destroying families, particularly in Black and brown communities. This work is crucial.”
Surge Network was formed in 2007 when pastors from various denominations throughout Phoenix, Arizona gathered to ask, “How might we work together to see our church participate in God’s mission for our city?” Since then, in every part of their city, this collaborative partnership of local congregations is committed to collective witness for Jesus by working arm in arm for “shalom,” or God’s realm of wholeness, justice, and peace. [1]
Prophetic witness is not a relic of the past. Instead, it advocates for voices that are unheard, to elevate stories of individuals who are ensnared by a system that is currently destroying families, particularly in Black and brown communities. —Chystal McCowan
Neighbor’s Table is a key initiative where Surge Network engages with the community and creates transformative experiences to mobilize people toward action-oriented engagement. Programs like Phoenix Refugee Connections, Arizona 1.27 Foster & Adoption, and Criminal Justice Advocacy invite participants to consider how love of neighbor leads to advocacy for those overlooked by society. [2]
“Everyone is invited into this big thing that God is doing,” says McGowan. “We want to engage societal issues and those affected, biblically and theologically, while also learning the social, psychological and historical implications of this brokenness.” Neighbor’s Table trainings teach that when harmful narratives shift, it allows us to cultivate communities where all people can flourish. Participants are encouraged to go into the world with God’s restorative mandate, emulating Jesus and trusting him for a future where systems reflect God’s kingdom on earth. [2]
Prophetic imagination is one way the Neighbor’s Table invites participants to consider what God might be doing. Through a journey of understanding people’s stories and the history of mass incarceration in the United States, to talking about what policing, sentencing reform, and legislation might look like through a restorative lens, participants are encouraged to imagine what God’s realm of justice, peace, and wholeness looks like and then work towards it.
God’s mission is to repair and to restore all things—and we’re all invited to do that. There are no big or small roles in the work of aspiring to be light in the world.
Voices like McCowan’s provide the prophetic witness needed to address root causes of systemic injustice. “I’ve come to this work by grappling with the weight of daily injustices and troubling complacency in the larger Church community. This tension evokes profound sorrow and lament for what I see within these communities and the brokenness that permeates our world,” she says.
For McCowan, contemplation allows space for feelings of discomfort rather than avoidance. She believes that sitting in the tension between anger and hope continually shapes prophetic witness, urging her to remain steadfast and committed to justice and compassion. “In these particular moments of contemplation,” says McGowan, “I feel that God is doing something.”
McCowan reminds us that God’s mission for the people of ancient Israel was for them to be a light for the world and to work for God’s peace on earth. She encourages us that every gift, resource, and talent that we have can be contributed to the work God has called us to. God’s mission is to repair and to restore all things—and we’re all invited to do that. There are no big or small roles in the work of aspiring to be light in the world.
References:
[1] https://www.surgenetwork.com Accessed 04/09/2025
[2] https://neighbors-table.com/about Accessed 04/09/2025
Reflect with Us
In what ways has contemplation helped you hold the tension between sorrow and hope? How has prophetic imagination invited you to listen to the voices of the unheard, to lament injustice, and to trust that even small acts can contribute to God’s restorative work in the world? Share your reflection with us.
“We Conspire” is a series from the Center for Action and Contemplation featuring wisdom and stories from the growing Christian contemplative movement. Sign up for the monthly email series and receive a free invitation to practice each month.