Am I On Candid Camera?
Ezekiel 37:1-14
There’s a new television comedy called “Just for Laughs” that comes on Tuesday nights. It’s kind of the present day equivalent of “Candid Camera” from back in the sixties. Basically you film people who are presented with unusual situations and see how they will react. From the British Royal Guard who suddenly yells “surprise” at passing tourists, to a man who puts two ice cream cones in his eyes, to two police officers passionately kissing in front of the station, the idea is to catch people’s reactions when they experience something out of the ordinary. Then there is usually the host showing the flabbergasted person where the hidden camera is located and everyone has a good laugh.
Primetime did a little bit different take on this theme recently when they hired actors to play three teenagers harassing a homeless person on a downtown street. They put cameras in the flowerpots and on buildings and in the trees so they could get every possible angle to watch people’s reaction to this helpless person being beaten with a baseball bat or having trash dumped on him. The question they asked was, “What would you do?” What would you do if you saw someone being attacked by bullies? What would you do if you saw an able-bodied person parking in a handicapped spot with plenty of regular parking spaces just a few feet away? What would you do if you saw someone back into a parked car knocking off the bumper of the other car and then they just walk away? Most people do nothing. It’s not my problem. It’s not my car. It’s not my handicapped space. The homeless guy isn’t anyone I know. It’s not my problem. The people who did get involved all mentioned their conscience and a sense of right and wrong that motivated them to act. Sometimes, we need to notice and do something about it.
Three buddies die in a car crash. When they arrive in heaven they are required to attend orientation.
They are all asked, “When you are in your casket and friends and family are passing by for the viewing, what would you like to hear them say about you? The first guy says, “I would like to hear them say that I was a great father.”
The second guy says, “I would like to hear that I was a wonderful school teacher who made a huge difference in the children I taught.”
The last guy replies, “I would like to hear them say, ‘Look! He’s moving!’”
There are times when we really want others to notice what is going on. Our story from Ezekiel could have been one of them. Imagine yourself as Ezekiel standing on the edge of this large plain where as far as the eye can see there is nothing but dismantled bones. First, there would be the horror of trying to imagine what happened to cause such death. Then there would have been the recognition that for these bones to be bleached, scattered and exposed meant that nobody cared enough about what happened to these people that they were given proper burial or remembrance. The bodies were simply left to the elements and wild animals – a horribly unthinkable thing to have happened during this time period and culture. Then, God tells you to prophesy to the bones. What do you say to bones? OK, granted, this is a vision. It doesn’t have to be completely logical. So you do what God tells you and there is a loud rattling sound as bones join with other bones and sinew and flesh appear so that instead of a plain full of bleached bones, now you have a plain full of lifeless corpses. Cool! How’d you do that? “Speak to the breath,” the Spirit tells you. The Hebrew word for breath and spirit are the same. Breath was consider that which gave one life, just as we think of the Spirit as being that which gives us life. “OK, breath, come from the four winds and enter these bodies.” And it happens. Now, this is getting to be too strange even for a vision! At what point did Ezekiel look around and say, “OK, where are the cameras? You got me. I probably looked really stupid with my mouth open and my eyes bulging.”
One of the interesting things you may have noticed about our text today is that two different names for God are used by the prophet during this vision – Yahweh and Adonai. Both are usually translated as “Lord” in English Bibles so we can miss that there was subtlety in how the story was told.
Maybe God was trying to expand Ezekiel’s mind out of the boxes in which he had so neatly collected his world. God is greater than the names I’ve always used for God. This vision showed him that grace and life are stronger forces than destruction and death. This display wasn’t just for laughs or to gauge people’s herd mentality when presented with an unpleasant situation. God was telling Ezekiel, “Expand your vision to see greater realities.”
After worship this morning our congregation will gather in forum to prayerfully consider something unexpected – an opportunity that has presented itself. There are a lot of things that are known in this particular situation. We know Rev. Provis. We know her work, her ability, her care, her contributions to this congregation. What we don’t know completely yet is whether we as a congregation want to take this step of faith of calling her back to our staff (which would require resolving any lingering feelings any of us might have) and if we do want to take this step, how do we get there financially? We will really need to seek God’s Spirit to expand our minds to see if there are new possibilities here to which we need to pay attention. Several people have asked me whether I think Rev. Provis return would be a good thing. Robyn and I have a great collegial relationship and friendship. I think we make a great team and I would welcome her return to the staff of All God’s Children. We are really going to have to rely on God’s grace to guide us because our situation has changed, her situation is different and the needs of the church have evolved. Plus the Treasurer has noted that the budget is looking more like bleached bones right now than animated spirits. Can these bones live? I’m with Ezekiel on this one. “Oh God, only you know.” And we need you to guide us. But there are two things of which I am certain: with God, all things are possible and there isn’t anything we can’t do if we allow God’s presence to open us to our potentials.
Just for Laughs and Primetime’s investigation showed that when presented with an unusual situation, most people do nothing. At the forum today we can risk acting on the vision we believe God has called us to as a congregation and use this unusual turn of events as an opportunity or we can do what most people do – nothing. It’s easier to do nothing – no risk, no unknowns. It is much harder to listen for the Spirit – to hear the word of Yahweh – calling us to step forward in faith. We’ve seen it again and again – with God all things are possible.
Sources:
www.homileticsonline.com Legos and Bones, March 2008.
http://www.ahajokes.com/hea11.html
http://www.askfactmaster.com/images/en/thumb/8/8b/250px-Tv_just_for_laughs_gags.JPG
http://www.playnow.co.il/Images/JustForLaughs9_b.jpg
http://www.playnow.co.il/Images/JustForLaughs6_b.jpg
http://www.kvii.com/uploadedImages/Shared/Shows/Primetime_Logo.jpg
