My mother had a particular phrase she would use when her unmotivated offspring were not performing to capacity. She would look at us and utter the phrase, “Move as if you have a breath of life in you.” She was a biblical scholar, but I did not know this at the time. Years later while studying the book of Ezekiel I ran across the phrase in chapter thirty-seven verse eight, “...and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them.” In the very next verse God instructs the prophet to continue to speak to the bones the words given in order that the breath of life would come in them. Through this theological construct God is asking the same question yet today with regard to humanity.
We would seem to be slow about the process of growing spiritually. However, Ezekiel appears ready both to grow as a person of faith and to act on behalf of God. When shown the valley of dry bones and then asked by God, “Can these bones live?” Ezekiel gives the answer we often do, only you know, God. When told to prophesy to the bones he does so without hesitation or regard, and they begin to come to life. The fullness of their development does not occur until God informs the prophet that the bones represent the people of Israel, and that the promise of God to act on their behalf still holds.
Being alive is vastly different than merely living. What the prophet shows is that when we allow the nurturing hand of Holiness to guide us, promises are revealed and blessings ensue. In other words to be fully alive as spiritual beings sometimes we need a little talking to. Of course it is much more helpful when we listen.
