the one about the bones

Can these bones live?  Can the dead live?  Can those bound in the dark silence of the tomb breathe again? Can those whose lives are cut short be given another chance?  

There is a fascination with life after death.  From “The Walking Dead” to Zombie Apocalpyse, Vampire Diaries to Resurrection popular TV is a reflection of popular culture’s interest in the mystery and uncertainty of the future.  But neither the ancient Jews nor the first Christians were concerned only with the question; is there a personal life after death?  Their understanding of resurrection, the restoration of life, was about the dire present circumstances of the whole community of God’s faithful and whether there would be vindication for them after long-suffering. 

Ezekiel the prophet speaks to the exiled Jewish community in despair.  They longed for days of freedom.  They remembered Jerusalem before the great day of destruction.  And now they were living in a foreign land, deported from their homeland; their holy city and God’s holy temple destroyed.  It was the middle of the 6^th century BC.  The Babylonian empire had conquered Israel, destroyed the temple, left the weak to die, deported the strong to Babylon.  When Ezekiel prophesies (a word which means one who publicly announces the Word of God), to Israel, he prophesies to a people who had seen death and grave loss.  They were desolate, lost, deep in despair.  They assumed their history, their way of life, had been destroyed forever.  God has abandoned them to die in a foreign country.  They were in bondage, captives to a people who did not know their God and their story.  Who were they apart from David’s city and solomon’s temple?  Their great story of Passover and liberation, a story that was meant to bring hope, brought sorrow.  Where was God now?  Their hope was gone. 

The Valley of Dry Bones symbolizes Israel’s hopeless sense of abandonment.  Their God had left them to die.  But, Ezekiel announces that the Ruah, the Spirit breath of God, was about to return to them.  The community would be restored.  Not because they were righteous, faithful, or pious. But because God is faithful and merciful and good.   Because God’s love for Israel was eternal.  The community would be restored as a holy people, the covenant restored by God for them.  And so God does restore them.  And Jerusalem is rebuilt.  And there is peace.  For a time. 

But 500 years pass and the people are in bondage again.  This time it is the Roman empire that violently oppresses with military force and high taxation.  They kill rebels and crucify messiahs.  And although the temple has been restored, it has been corrupted by money changers and turned into a system of economic oppression that benefited a few and hurt many.  And the nation is torn apart.  Some want to rise up and wage war.  Others want to quietly obey the Torah and pray for God to send a deliverer.  There was much suffering and senseless death. Jesus and the church emerge in this context. There is death because of poverty and violence.  

A brother died.  We do not know Lazarus’ story. How did he get sick? What illness overcame him and led to his death?  Jesus was familiar with this family, Mary and Martha and Lazarus of Bethany.  They had shown hospitality to Jesus.  And he cared for them like sisters.  And a brother.  But when he died, Jesus was off with his disciples.  If he had been there, perhaps he could’ve done something to save him.  That is the accusation leveled against Jesus.  His absence was almost as responsible for death as the disease itself.  Doctors take mortality seriously, seemingly holding life in their hands sometimes. Jesus had stayed away and Lazarus had died.  And although Jesus suggests that his death is a sign of God's life-giving power, it seems that he is too late.  Now it was four days later.  Past the point of return.  And yet, he arrives and promises more than a hopeful future.  Not "one day you will reunite in heaven."  He promises them life.  Resurrection.  Now.  In that hour. Our "too late" becomes God's "right now". 

And so, with a loud voice he raises Lazarus.  Lazarus emerges.  Alive.  Not so that the people can believe that heaven is for real.  But so that they might believe that Jesus is the son of God come to save the world from sin and death.   And he calls the community to unbind him and set him free. 

Can the dead live?  When we think about these two stories, death is linked with despair and hopelessness.  It is linked with "too late".  Who lives with such despair today?  Who are the living dead? Who are bound by injustice and oppression?  Who are hopeless? We aren’t.  We are safe and privileged and healthy.  The bible was written by those on the bottom of the human pyramid. The bible was written in the blood and suffering of martyrs.  We are not them.  How can we say it is our story? It is the story of those who are stepped on, abused, hated, rejected, cursed, unjustly treated. It is the story of the jews facing the gas chambers at Auschwitz.  It is the story of Native Americans facing extermination; of Rwandan Genocide.  It is the story of people who are stripped of human dignity and the possibility of a good, whole, and healthy life.  We may think of people in poverty, people dealing with oppressive governments, people living through the hell of war.  We may think of children living through famine, seeing death every day.  We may think of 2 million incarcerated Americans, the free-est country in the world incarcerates the most people.  Over 3, 000 Americans face life sentences without parole for nonviolent offenses. They do so in states where there are mandatory sentencing guidelines for multiple offenders.  Mostly they are drug-related offenses.  Are drugs nonviolent?  Perhaps not.  Nevertheless, the U.S, incarcerates a higher percentage of its citizens than any other country.  Can these bones live?  Hundreds of thousands of people are deported from the U.S. every year.  Families are divided.  Children watch their parents get deported.  People who have lived and worked here and paid taxes here without opportunity to apply for citizenship are deported.  1,200 people every day.  One of the largest detention centers for illegal immigrants is in York County.  A nation of immigrants has made it very hard for immigrants to become citizens. And so they live in fear.  Can these bones live?

We live in an age where there is reason to despair.  With all of our advances in medicine and science and technology, some people live with privileges that others are denied because of their skin color, their sexual orientation, their economic status.  We live in an age where food can be wasted in one house, while people hunger in the next one.  We live in an age where wealthy business owners build mansions in Manheim Township while a single mom and her 4 month old face eviction and homelessness.  Can these bones live?  

The bible was written in and for a community of people.  It is not a rule book for individuals.  It is community’s story, a national charter, a corporate manifesto.  It is the message, voice, and intention of God. It is a covenant between God and people.  WE are called to take up the prophetic work of setting the oppressed free. You will ask, but how? I cannot answer that.  God will breathe it into us.  God speaks and the dead listen.  We must shout against it. Death threats, incarcerations, what have you they will not prevent God’s people from saying what is true.  God desires that the oppressed, the poor, the imprisoned, the detained and deported will be free. We must not silently and idly stand by while injustice reigns.  We must stand for hope and truth and justice. One day it will be so.    Can these bones live?  Yes, they can.  Make it so, O Lord. Make it so.  Amen.