Lent

March 24, 2020

Scripture Reading
Ezekiel 37:1-14

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. 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. 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.’ I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. –Ezekiel 37:7-10

The Hebrew word Ruach* is translated into English based on its use as breath, wind, or spirit. In the instance above it is used as a sign and symbol of life. The presence of God and the presence of life are inseparable and have been since God breathed the breath of life into humanity. When we move away from God, we move away from life. In the scene painted so dramatically above, all the breath was gone from the people and only their lifeless bones remained to show they ever existed.

When we turn away from God, seek after lesser gods instead, we eventually become like those dry bones, of no use to ourselves, our community, or the creation about us and maybe even become a detriment. When greed or personal power or lust or anything else becomes more important than God in our lives then we become like those drying, decaying bones. This is a decidedly ugly picture. When we are ready to return to a relationship with God, God readily restores Gods Ruach to us.

As many of us are self-isolating to help control the covid 19 pandemic, we have the time to reflect on how far we have drifted from God who is Love as our source of life and meaning in life. Starting with each of us and spreading to and through all of us as the children of God, we need to examine our priorities and allow God to do a new thing in us**.

Prayer: Lord, help me see myself through your eyes and where needed help me let go of all that is keeping me from being the person you created me to be. Empower me to work with others to be your hands and feet in turning our world into a placed ruled by love. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/hebrew/7307.htm

**Isaiah 43:19

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.