Friday 13 August 2010

Background

You can't say that Ezekiel doesn't use vivid imagery to get hismessage over. Foetal blood, the nude in puberty - almostvoyeuristic, pornographic - and lavish adorning of the female body,fit to be a queen. Through such imagery Ezekiel is trying toillustrate the feeling of the Lord God who is saying, "Look at whatI have done for you and look what you have done in return. Soldthat beautiful body into prostitution."

Jerusalem is likened to a newborn child, abandoned on the street.Hundreds of years earlier, the people of Israel came across thiscity of the Jebusites and, through the Lord's servant David,conquered it and made it their own. It became the holy city ofIsrael with the very presence of the Lord residing in its Temple.Now, says God, look what you have done to it.

And yet, I won't give up on you, says the Lord God. I will keep mycovenant. I will still care for you as much as I did when I firstfound you. You will pay for breaking your side of the covenant butI will never break mine. That is how you will know that I am theholy Lord God.

There are times when images of children in distress caused byfamine, warfare and disease draw enormous responses in charitablegiving. In Ezekiel's vision of the lost and found baby, the LordGod reminds the people of Israel of the life-giving care that willalways be available - no matter what the circumstances, no matterhow much it is misused. This open ended, no strings attachedcharity is the way the Lord God wants us to deal with the plight ofmillions of under-privileged children in the world today.

To Ponder

When, if ever, is it appropriate to use images ofchildren to get a message across?

What has been your response to the news reportsshowing children dying of malnutrition and disease? What practicalsteps can you and your church take to ease their plight?