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Our reading from The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel, the vision of the Valley of Dry Bones, seems particularly poignant this year. Some of us may feel despondent as we have not been able to connect with one another as we would like to or as we have been able to in the past. Others of us may feel hopeless and burned out as we have connected with people during this time and seen some of the worst behavior our fellow man has to offer. Either way, I think it’s safe to say we all feel a little dead inside.
That was the the status of Israel in Ezekiel’s day. The Israelites, at the time had no land, no home, no country. They were in exile in Babylon. Jerusalem had fallen. All seemed without hope. All seemed lost, and it is in this setting that Israel is portrayed as a mound of dry bones. They were no longer living, but dead, long dead even.
Yet it is in this context that Ezekiel is told to preach. He is to preach to these dry bones, to preach the word of the Lord. And suddenly, in his vision, the bones come to life, covered with flesh as human beings once again.
Though Israel felt dead, through God’s word they were renewed and restored. Though they had lost their lives, God brought them back to the living.
The same happened to the Apostles. Though they were once dead in sin, they were made alive in Christ Jesus. The sign of that new life was the gift of the Holy Spirit which came to transform them and lead them into a new ministry for our Lord.
God does the same thing for us. That is what we recognize on this Day of Pentecost. Though we too were once dead in sin, so we too have been brought to new life through our Savior Jesus Christ. We have the sign of that life in the gift of the Holy Spirit given to us in Baptism.
Even though we might feel dead inside due to the Pandemic, God has shown us time and time again that He will renew and restore us. He has done so before, and He will do so again. No matter if you crave interaction with others or fear it, God will be there to transform your anxieties and make you whole once again.