Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent - April 9, 2022

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Ezekiel 37:21-28         John 11:45-56

This week’s reading depicts the covenant of God in which he promises a unified nation for all of the children of Israel. The people, however, must get rid of their idols and hatred in order for the covenant to be fulfilled. Once fulfilled, they will be cleansed of their sins and given David as their King. They will continue to birth new generations in this sanctuary through God’s covenant of peace. God describes this unified nation as one that is joyful and merry, a truly blissful place. Without trust in God, the Israelites would never have followed God’s covenant. Why would they when their idols were so tempting? By blindly getting rid of these idols and resentment, they were able to fully embrace God.

For people in the present day, it may not be that easy to uphold their faith so strongly. I know that I struggle with it sometimes. I can’t see God and I haven’t witnessed any miracles, so why should I believe? I must learn to overcome my doubt and put my trust into our all-loving God.

Also emphasized in this scripture reading is unity. God combines the two nations into one because people work better together rather than apart. As one nation, they can communicate better in order to actually get things done. It is reminiscent of the story of Tower of Babel in which God punished the arrogant builders of the tower by confusing their languages. Without the ability to communicate, they were doomed and the tower was abandoned. How incredibly relevant this is to our own society in which we also struggle with widespread division and lack of compromise. As a progressive society, we must learn to communicate with words rather than violence. Overall, this scripture reveals how humankind needs to more effectively practice God’s covenant ideals of peace and love–or suffer the consequences.

Q: Do I find it challenging to listen in order to understand rather than to simply reply?


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