Ezekiel 37:1-14
1 The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3 He said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord God, you know." 4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord." 7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live." 10 I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. 11 Then he said to me, "Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, "Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.' 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14 I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord."
Reflection - Breathe!
Something from nothing. That's how God works. He takes dirt, he takes mud, he takes chaos, he takes bones and puts a little bit of wind... a breath... a Word... into the mix and renews life in people. He renews your life and he renews my life and he shows life to all people. All people even if they don't want to believe in him. God will show all of us new life. Not only show the renewed life but give the renewed life... God gives renewed life... even from the grave. Especially from the grave. God gives renewed life in the resurrection of Jesus and grants this gift of renewed life to all the people. What a gift... what a grace.
Even in tiny forms God grants renewed life. God grants renewed life to the infant at baptism. A life full of God as the parents and sponsors raise that newly baptized child in God's Church. God grants renewed life in the healing and the changing of people that are now able to see God in many and various ways. We see God with eyes or without eyes. We see God in the hearts and minds or a caring friend. We see God in our own heart and we see God in the midst of pain and suffering. We see God in the laughter of new joy. Yes... God takes and makes something from nothing.
The issue we and I tend to have is that we hate to deal with and even fear the pain, the suffering, the mourning and the death. We hate the separation. Yes, we hate the change that we can't control. But as is seen in this passage, we need not fear any of this. We need not fear even death itself. God can and will place breath into even the dust we form or the bones we leave behind. God is about renewed life. Witness the renewed life of Lazarus and even Jesus. In the resurrection we all will experience this renewed life in God all because of that step that God took himself in the flesh and blood of Jesus upon that cross thousands of years ago. God showed his promise of renewed life in person to all the world.
Yes, I sin. Yes, I separate myself from God. And yes, in my sin I die. I die to myself and I die to God. In my sin is death and eternal damnation. But, I can also see my sin. I can smell the stench, the rot of my sin and turn to God. I turn to God even in the midst of my exile and my separation. I must look to God and repent of that sin. I must turn to God and place all of my hope, trust and faith in God. The same God that breathes new wind and breath even into dry bones to bring about renewed life.
And when God takes this action. This action of breathing into my lost soul; my separation and exile from God; the wind of God's Spirit takes control of me. I am renewed in life through God's breath and the wind of God's Spirit. I am renewed in the eternal life and the eternal fellowship with God and with all of the saints. Yes, I am renewed and restored to find that even in the midst of my sin and death... God was there with me. God was with me all along. God was with me in the exile and the separation.
A moment of sin and separation drove this message home to me in the bright lights of a sign. A sign that proclaimed to me that even as I was in the midst of my own sin and separation... a sign that flashed boldly and brightly before my eyes the truth of renewed life... "God is closer than you think."
How true... even to some bones... even to some dirt... even in the gritty cross of Ash Wednesday... even in the blood stained cross of Jesus... even in the midst of the tomb... the breath of God... the wind of the Holy Spirit... "God is closer than you think." God is there with you even in the midst of all these times, ready and willing to breathe and renew your life too.
Thanks be to God!
Yes-- hear is a wonderful song that sums it all up from Chris Tomlin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSzU9Ji-tV8
Prayer
Lord, breathe on me... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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