whisked away - The hand of the LORD came upon me . . . and set me down . . . suggests that Ezekiel was given to ecstatic and trance-like states similar to the spirit possession of Israel’s earliest prophets and perhaps similar to the whirling dervishes that still perform today throughout the Middle East. While in God’s grip, Ezekiel says that he is whisked away and set down in a valley.

hope - If the exilic prophets owned a scroll of images from which to draw poignant images of hopelessness, the vision of the valley of dry bones would have been on the short list. Ezekiel describes an impossible scenario-bleached bones- yet, with God’s life-animating ruach, unexpectedly generate human flesh. (Like hitting the rewind button at the end of a movie and watching the action in reverse.) If God can reclaim such a hopeless future-after all, desiccated bones and buried bodies never attend high school reunions-then it can mean only one thing: "with God all things are possible." Such a theme will continue to sound throughout Scripture in a plethora of images that inspire hope for the future.

What images would you use to describe an utterly-beyond-any-possibility-of-change situation?

Describe the lifespan of a city or neighborhood.

Use the lowly sigmoid, the basic "?" shape in the Greek alphabet to describe the life-cycle of a relationship, system, or community. The "?" begins with a small tail at the bottom (the beginning), then rises up and around (period of growth), then plateaus (cessation of growth) before tilting back earthward (decline and ultimately, death). Where on the sigmoid are you in your relationship with God?

Freshen up the image. Draw on new images that everyone knows and can visualize. Then place that image alongside Ezekiel’s harsh image of hopelessness of the future. A little historical context would be useful at this point. Describe or name vignettes of current "impossible" scenes that would be memorable or familiar to the listening community.

Shift toward hope. Revisit God’s ruach as the life-giving, animating breath that turns impossibilities into possibilities. Acts 2 might be a great biblical example. Your own congregation may be great current example of how God has worked inspite of, despite, through, over, under, and around to enable people to achieve worthy goals.