This afternoon is our Singing for Wellbeing group. We sometimes sing ‘Dem bones, Dem bones, Dem dry bones…’ The song lists bones that are joined together…
Toe bone connected to the foot bone
Foot bone connected to the heel bone
Heel bone connected to the ankle bone… and so on.
It’s a fun song with actions that tests the co-ordination and sharpness of those of us that think we have reasonable physical and mental capacity!
This morning I read the original story… God takes Ezekiel into a valley that’s full of dry bones. God says, ‘Can these bones live?’
The cynic, scientist or realist could say, ‘No’. The fantasy-lover, god-believer, or spiritual mystic could say, ‘Yes’. It’s a question about God, life and death.
Yesterday, turning out some old papers I found an essay I wrote concerning my friends David and Seph…
In July 2008 Steph learnt that she was pregnant. In August tests revealed that their baby was not developing properly. Early in September David asked his friends at church to pray with them for their unborn child…
Subsequent tests revealed significant disorder; an abortion was suggested. Charlie’s heart stopped beating on 17th September. Steph was called into hospital. Charlie was born on 24th. There was a moving service of thanksgiving for Charlie’s life on 29th.
David and Steph’s experiences raise further questions about God, life and death… If God is good, loving and absolutely sovereign then the question ‘why’ recurs repeatedly.
My essay conclusion included: ‘The whole experience shared with Charlie’s family has given all involved a deeper awareness of an enigmatic God who we must seek through the complexities of life that is often ambiguous and uncertain.’
And yet, somehow, through the mysteries of life and death, through unanswered and apparently unanswerable questions, about a God who’s sometimes incomprehensible and unpredictable, I’m content with ‘O Sovereign Lord, only you know’… and my faith in my God becomes stronger and increasingly unshakable…
malcolmsmusings.org 