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Niebuhr (1935:22) states that:

The ethic of Jesus is the perfect fruit of prophetic religion. It’s ideal of love has the same relation to the facts and necessities of human experience as the God of prophetic faith has to the world.

In short, Niebuhr is saying that God is involved in all dimensions of the unfolding processes of human history. Generally speaking, human relations on every level do not pay attention to this and human agencies resort to either their own stupidity or astuteness to resolve the crises of conflict. Yet, as Niebuhr (1932:1) again observes:

For all the centuries of experience, men have not yet learned how to live together without compounding their vices and covering each other “with mud and blood.” The society in which each man lives is at once the basis for, and a nemesis of, that fullness of life which each man seeks.

If Niebuhr is right, then conflict is a perennial factor inhuman existence and history has not proven otherwise. Most of the champions of a good cause in the human situation are, implicitly or explicitly, ultimately speaking for themselves. This is a demonic aspect of human history that cannot be overridden by rationale or a mere appeal to decency. According to Niebuhr (1932:1) “Man, unlike other

creatures, is gifted and cursed with an imagination which extends his appetites beyond the requirements of subsistence”.

If considered in the context of this Niebuhrian perspective, then Boesak and Chikane’s prophetic mission is wanting. They ignored the fact that conflict is always form part of human relations. They totally undermined the effects of the human impulse on the “will to power” (Nietzsche, Adler). Power is at the centre of

human conflict, and human beings in pursuit of power will leave no stone unturned, even if this to their own detriment.

As prophets, Boesak and Chikane ought to have known that the problems witnessed in the social and political arenas are part of a wider problem, namely, the human predicament in the human situation. As human beings, we are unable to rescue ourselves and every effort in the human enterprise provides empirical evidence of this failure. This is the juncture of prophecy because it transcends the human situation. Thus, as Paul warned (Romans 2:1): “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else for, at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself because you, who pass judgment, do the same things.” It is not possible for a situation to successfully be its own measure by comparing itself to itself.

Chikane’s book is a record of the absolute disillusionment and revulsion he feels in respect of those who sought to nullify Mbeki’s legacy. We may never know the truth behind either the firing of Madlala-Routledge or Zuma’s expulsion from parliament, just as we may never know the truth about the factors that contributed to the build-up to the Polokwane insurrection and Mbeki’s final recall from parliament. The truth lies deep in the subconscious of the perpetrators of these actions and the rest of us may only wonder. These actions, including Chikane’s own actions, are not foreign to human behaviour.

Chikane’s moral woes are compounded by the fact that he is a professing Christian and, therefore, he owes allegiance and loyalty only to Christ. His defence of Mbeki is almost idolatrous and, in the process, his prophetic mission is

severely compromised. Genuine prophecy is marked by its ability to stand above the situation in which it manifests. Both Boesak and Chikane were caught up in the exigencies of the political arena and the transcendent element of their prophecy was overwhelmed. There is no perfect solution for the exigencies of human existence and, thus, even democracy, albeit necessary, is not perfect. However, an imperfect democracy makes a Mosaic prophecy indispensable.

A prophet represents God in the human situation and, thus, a prophet’s ethic must be rooted in the ethic of Jesus. The ideal of agape, even as a possible impossibility (Niebuhr 1935:135), has become a desperate imperative in human relations. Martin Luther King’s words are still as relevant today for South Africa as they are for the world community:

We must all learn to live together as brothers (and sisters) or we will perish together as fools. This is the great challenge of the hour. This is true of individuals. It is true of nations. No individual can live alone. No nation can live alone.

An astute pedagogy, as Niebuhr (1932:25) argues, is not the total answer to the woes of the human situation although it does enable people’s natural capacities to flow in harmony with others. A prophet who participates in the situation on which they must prophesy loses all credibility as a prophet. Society is divided and a prophet must reconcile, first to God and then to others. However, this role is compromised when the prophet is adorned with the robes of a political party.

Prophecy can be very controversial and dangerous, especially in situations in which it goes against the popular political tide. Nevertheless, it must maintain its

position both ahead and beyond the situation. Polokwane revealed to South Africa that South Africa was gradually sliding into political chaos. It is vital that both Boesak and Chikane resolve the crisis of their political and prophetic roles in society; otherwise they will lose integrity in both. Although it is incumbent on Christians to participate in politics not every Christian is a prophet. Are Boesak and Chikane prophets or politicians? In their writings after their tenure in government, they speak as politicians in the guise of prophets. In the final analysis they, like all politicians, spoke for themselves.