There are some observations that I would like to make about the MET weekend, as well as saying a big word of thanks to all those who were involved in its organisation, and to Brookside and Southside for hosting. First, on the run up to the weekend, Owen reminded me of a quote from Gandhi who is reputed to have said, ‘“You Christians look after a document containing enough dynamite to blow all civilisation to pieces, turn the world upside down and bring peace to a battle-torn planet. But you treat it as though it is nothing more than a piece of literature.” (Strangely – and I think I mean Holy Spirit strangely – both Owen and I had referred to Gandhi in our Sunday services before the weekend. As I listened to Paul, and his exposition on Ezekiel, I began to revisit this question, raised by an outsider to Christianity. I found myself asking, ‘Was Gandhi right?’ Have we downgraded the Bible? Do we take what the Bible says seriously, and engage with it honestly, or do we sometimes shirk this challenge?
The second thing that struck me is the difference between reading a story and living it for ourselves, so the story defines us, so we become the next chapter in the story. The story of Ezekiel and the valley of the dry bones coming to live is not just a historical/metaphorical account of renewal of how God brought new life to the remnant that remained, having lived through a period of judgment. It is offered to us as something that can become our story for today. We are called to live faithfully despite the ungodliness which surrounds us. Even though we may feel like dry bones, and even though we may be a remnant of what once was, God can bring renewal – and more than that resurrection. In our circuit, we have and are seeing dry bones come to life, as people allow themselves to believe in the possibility that God can do more than what our limited imagination might predict, and that if we take God’s hand, we can find hope, strength, the giftings that we need, and a sense of fulfilment that is beyond words.