I will seek them out

Haiku for the scattered

The sheep are scattered.

God’s people, dispersed, exiled

among the nations.

I will search for them,

says God. They are my own sheep,

I will seek them out.

I will rescue them

from all their scattered places;

I’ll be their shepherd.

I will bring them home

to Israel’s mountains, give

them food and water.

They’ll have rich pasture,

lie down in good grazing land.

I’ll be their shepherd.

I will seek the lost,

bind the injured, and strengthen

the weak They are mine.

The fat and the strong

I will destroy. They’ll receive

the justice that’s due.

Between sheep and sheep

I will judge; those who ravage,

and the scattered ones.

A true shepherd comes,

my servant David, a prince;

he shall tend my flock.

© Ken Rookes 2023

The Vision was Strong

Haiku of rattling bones

The vision was strong.

The valley lay before him,

covered with dry bones.

Ezekiel heard

God speak; Tell me, mortal man;

can these bones yet live?

The prophet demurred,

You alone know these things, Lord.

(A careful answer.)

God said: Prophesy

to these bones. By your command

call them back to life.

The prophet called out;

the bones began to rattle

and come together.

The assembled bones

became covered with flesh, skin;

but were without life.

Prophesy, Prophet,

call up the winds that these slain

might take breath and live.

Ezekiel did

what God ordered. The army

rose and stood before.

Israel’s people

are lifeless bones, without hope,

They have no future.

Speak to them, Prophet;

The Lord will open your graves,

God will bring you back.

God makes a promise;

I will give you my spirit,

I will give you life.

© Ken Rookes 2023

Dem Bones

Your toe bone connected to your foot bone, Your foot bone connected to your ankle bone, Your ankle bone connected to your leg bone, Your leg bone connected to your knee bone, Your knee bone connected to your thigh bone, Your thigh bone connected to your hip bone, Your hip bone connected to your back bone, Your back bone connected to your shoulder bone, Your shoulder bone connected to your neck bone, Your neck bone connected to your head bone, I hear the word of the Lord! Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk aroun' Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk aroun' Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk aroun' I hear the word of the Lord! Disconnect dem bones, dem dry bones Disconnect dem bones, dem dry bones Disconnect dem bones, dem dry bones I hear the word of the Lord! Your head bone connected from your neck bone, Your neck bone connected from your shoulder bone, Your shoulder bone connected from your back bone, Your back bone connected from your hip bone, Your hip bone connected from your thigh bone, Your thigh bone connected from your knee bone, Your knee bone connected from your leg bone, Your leg bone connected from your ankle bone, Your ankle bone connected from your foot bone, Your foot bone connected from your toe bone, I hear the word of the Lord! I hear the word of the Lord!

God's word still brings us up from our graves

 "So maybe those things that divide us and leave us as the “dry and cut off bones” of the body of God’s people are not insurmountable. Maybe we can be restored, we can be reconciled to each other and to God, and we can be recreated and resurrected into the kinds of communities, families, countries, or people that God desires us to be. Our fatalistic words of hopelessness and abandonment are not the final word, for God’s word still comes to our valleys and brings us up from our graves (v. 13). But it takes more than just speaking to our brokenness, more than just commanding restoration and reconciliation, more than just saying that resurrection is possible. It requires the breath of God moving in and among the bones; it needs the spirit of God infusing us with new life, moving us to better ways of living and being."
http://gmcelroy.typepad.com/desertscribblings/2008/03/march-9-2008--.html

dry bones?