Dry Bones...Come Alive! The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. Ezekiel 37:1 Dry bones. Dusty, disconnected, scattered and withered skeletons. Not good for anything, but once, a while back, they were people, real living human beings. Ezekiel has a vision of God's chosen people in exile - scattered, withering and without hope. God calls Ezekiel to prophesy over the bones, to speak His living and life-giving words over hopeless ruins. Suddenly there is movement. Bones rattle to order with sinews, tendons and flesh layered and secured. But these bones still are not human, not fully alive. The most vital element is still missing. Once again the prophet speaks and this time there is breath! God's breath of life itself - the same breath that called creation to order in the beginning of time, the same breath that transformed Adam from a lump of clay to a living human being! How often I have felt like I too am in the valley of the dry bones. (Maybe you have too?) Not as one who sees the bones, nor as one who speaks to the bones. I am the dry bones! Dry, dusty, scattered, withered, lifeless - at times I feel breathless, fragmented, scattered, hopeless, and withered from the inside out. I ache to be put together, to feel whole, centered and connected. Just to have a little hope! And then... With a single breath over dry bones, God imparts a promise that His beloved children will not remain in exile and that they will once again have a righteous king to rule over them. That which is dead and dry and scattered will be given new life! All around us is a “valley of dry bones.” We live, work, shop, and play among (and with) people who are dry, dusty, scattered, withered, lifeless. They too are living in exile…separated from the God longs to give them the breath of life. Their lives are fragmented, scattered, hopeless, and withered from the inside out. They ache to be put together, to feel whole, centered and connected. The breath of God is very real for all of us who claim Jesus as our Righteous King. In baptism, we have received the Holy Spirit, the living breath of God! The same Holy Spirit poured out on the day of Pentecost is now active in our lives along with the promise that “he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11) So, God calls us just as he called Ezekiel, to speak to the dry bones (ourselves included) “Come alive!” Blessings, Matthew+ Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP p. 219) |
