Bones

Lectionary Passage Ezekiel 37:1-14

Ezekiel had a vision. He saw clearly how devastated the spiritual community was. And he also saw clearly how the hand of God could bring about the restoration of God’s people. Years of a poor spiritual diet led to an emaciation of the spiritual body, like old, dry, dismembered skeletons long since picked clean by vultures and left unburied like a vast ancient deserted battlefield. The spiritual body no longer had an intact spine to stand up to all kinds of spiritual quackery of that day and age. Neither did it have the spiritual muscle to face the issues of the day; the spiritual skin to hold its shape was long gone. And most importantly the breath of the living spirit of God was long past: only scattered bones remained as a reminder of the life that once was, and is no more. It was the bleakest of pictures. But as clearly as Ezekiel saw the devastated spiritual condition of God’s people, he was willing to let God paint a new picture in his mind. God’s vision was one of a miraculous and complete resurrection. As I look forward to celebrating Christ’s resurrection this Easter, I so long for the resurrection of so many things: God’s church resurrected in power, the troubled nations across the globe resurrected to peace and freedom, our city resurrected to health and employment, our nation resurrected to prosperity and joy, and each of us, myself included, resurrected to a beautiful picture which only God can both envision and paint. God is still in the resurrection business, and I can’t wait to see all these areas that look like bones of life in times past become vibrant life in the here and now! Lord, take us from bony to beauty!