History is replete with examples of individuals who were relentlessly ignored, dismissed, or persecuted during their lifetimes, only to be revered as saints, prophets, or visionaries after their deaths. From Jesus Christ and Joan of Arc to Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., these figures often faced hostility, scepticism, and even violence while alive—only to later be celebrated by the very societies that once rejected them. This pattern calls into question why humans repeatedly fail to recognise the greatness of transformative individuals in real time and yet rush to honour their memory once they are no longer present to challenge, confront, or provoke.
This paradox can be better understood by exploring several interconnected human tendencies and social dynamics.
1. Challenge to the Status Quo
Living saints and prophets often call for changes that threaten the established order. Whether their message is spiritual, social, or political, these individuals frequently challenge entrenched beliefs, practices, and power structures. Their visions of a better or more just world often expose the flaws, inequities, or hypocrisy of current systems—and people in positions of power rarely react favourably to such critiques. Institutions—be they religious, political, or cultural—are naturally resistant to change, as change disrupts comfort, stability, and control.
Consider Jesus Christ, whose message of love, forgiveness, and humility was a direct challenge to the religious authorities of his time, as well as the Roman Empire. His teachings undermined the rigid hierarchies and traditions of the day, leading to his crucifixion. Similarly, Martin Luther King Jr.’s demand for racial equality and justice during the Civil Rights Movement challenged the deeply entrenched systems of segregation and white supremacy in the United States. Both men were met with hostility because their calls for justice demanded personal and societal transformation—which many people were unwilling to undertake.
2. The Threat of Moral Accountability
Living saints and prophets often hold up a mirror to society, exposing its moral and ethical failings. For many, this is an uncomfortable experience. Prophets, in particular, call for introspection and repentance, urging individuals and communities to live in accordance with higher principles. This moral accountability can provoke defensiveness and resentment among those who are unwilling to confront their own shortcomings or who feel personally attacked by the prophet’s message.
It’s less threatening to dismiss the messenger altogether than to engage with their ideas. A living saint’s message can be easily mocked, rationalised away, or outright ignored when it raises inconvenient truths. For example, Mahatma Gandhi’s advocacy of nonviolent resistance and simplicity stood in stark contrast to both British colonial authority and the material ambitions of other political leaders. Many dismissed Gandhi as impractical or even fanatical during his lifetime. Only later did his moral clarity and strategy of nonviolence come to be widely celebrated.
3. The Power of Familiarity and Proximity
Familiarity often breeds a lack of reverence. Living saints and prophets are, at their core, human beings. They have flaws, quirks, and limitations like everyone else. When people encounter these figures in their everyday lives, it can be difficult to reconcile their ordinariness with the extraordinary truths they embody or the movements they inspire. This disconnect often makes it easier to dismiss them as deluded, eccentric, or even fraudulent.
Additionally, the proximity of a living saint’s actions and choices can provoke jealousy or envy. Some people feel threatened by their goodness, viewing it as a reflection of their own moral or spiritual inadequacies. Others may resent the attention and adoration that saints receive, seeing them as competitors for public affection or influence.
4. Death as a Gateway to Reverence
Death has a unique way of transforming how people perceive saints and prophets. Once a person is no longer alive, they no longer pose a direct challenge or threat to the status quo. Their message becomes easier to romanticise, sanitise, or reinterpret in ways that align with prevailing norms and values. The complexities and contradictions of their lives are often smoothed over, leaving behind an idealised version of their legacy.
The distance provided by death allows people to focus on the universal truths or principles that the saint or prophet represented, rather than the seemingly ‘disruptive’ aspects of their message. For instance, Martin Luther King Jr., who was viewed as a divisive radical by many during his lifetime, has since been broadly embraced as a national hero in the United States. However, this posthumous veneration often ignores the more radical aspects of his critique of American society, including his opposition to the Vietnam War and his condemnation of economic inequality.
5. Institutionalisation of Legacy
After a prophet or saint’s death, institutions often play a significant role in shaping their memory. Religious organisations, governments, and other societal groups may co-opt their message to serve their own agendas. This institutionalisation can lead to widespread veneration, but it also risks diluting the original message. For example, Jesus Christ’s radical teachings of love, humility, and nonviolence have been embraced globally, but they have also been selectively interpreted and reshaped by different Christian denominations over centuries.
These institutions often rewrite history to distance themselves from the persecution or rejection they once perpetrated. The same groups or societies that marginalised and silenced a prophet in their lifetime may now celebrate them as a way of projecting goodness and moral authority.
6. Human Need for Heroes
After a figure who lived with integrity and courage passes away, society often feels a collective need to honour them as heroes. This posthumous reverence satisfies a deep human yearning to believe in the possibility of goodness and selflessness. It allows people to align themselves with the saint or prophet’s “idealised” version, which feels safe and uncomplicated, rather than engaging with the complexities of their living example.
In death, saints and prophets become symbols rather than people—symbols of hope, perseverance, and the potential for humanity to transcend its flaws. This transformation into iconography often allows their message to endure and continue to inspire, even as their lifetimes of struggle and suffering fade from memory.
Conclusion
The tendency to ignore, dismiss, or persecute living saints and prophets while venerating them after death is an enduring human pattern. It reflects our resistance to change, discomfort with moral accountability, and inability to see greatness in its imperfect, human form. Ironically, the very forces that oppose saints and prophets during their lifetimes are often instrumental in elevating them after their deaths.
This paradox points to an uncomfortable truth: true transformation is rarely embraced in the moment. It requires courage to recognise and support prophetic voices while they are still alive and speaking truth to power. Perhaps the greatest lesson we can take from history is to ask ourselves whether there are living saints and prophets among us today—and whether we are listening to them, or simply preparing to honour them when it is too late.
Worldwide Temple of Aurora 