Show and Tell

As we continue looking at what Ezekiel can teach us about revival, we come to a very interesting command from God.

“And now, son of man, take a large clay brick and set it down in front of you. Then draw a map of the city of Jerusalem on it. Show the city under siege. Build a wall around it so no one can escape. Set up the enemy camp, and surround the city with siege ramps and battering rams. Then take an iron griddle and place it between you and the city. Turn toward the city and demonstrate how harsh the siege will be against Jerusalem. This will be a warning to the people of Israel.” – Ezekiel 4:1-3

God calls us to proclaim his message by word and by action. We understand proclamations issued in verbal form. Modern western society is all about words. Proclamation by actions is another matter.

Usually when we hear someone say we should proclaim God’s word by our actions, we think in terms of living a good and kind and holy life. We may think of St. Francis’ saying: “Preach the gospel always; use words when necessary.”

(I understand the point behind St. Francis’ words, but I think it can become an excuse for not using words. After all, if people think that I’m a nice guy just because I’m a nice guy, and don’t know that it’s because of Jesus, it doesn’t help them toward the kingdom of God.)

All this is good, but it’s not what God was telling Ezekiel to do. God instructed Ezekiel to perform what theologians call “prophetic acts.” Regular people would call it “street theater.” God wants his message to get across, and he knows that some people’s eyes glaze over whenever a preacher starts talking. So he told Ezekiel to add to his preaching something that would communicate with the non-verbally oriented people. God basically told Ezekiel to do a show-and-tell.

Annapolis is a highly educated town, and most people can understand verbal communication. That doesn’t change the fact that many people respond better to other means of getting a message across. I believe God is calling his people to be creative. After all, God created us in his image, and God is the creator. What kind of show-and-tells can we create to help make God’s message clear and accepted? The better we can do that, the better our chance of making Annapolis a target of God’s revival fire.