Ezekiel 3:10-15: a reflection

10Moreover he said to me, “Son of man, receive in your heart and hear with your ears all my words that I speak to you. 11Go to them of the captivity, to the children of your people, and speak to them, and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says,’ whether they will hear, or whether they will refuse.” 12Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing, saying, “Blessed be the LORD’s glory from his place.” 13I heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, even the noise of a great rushing. 14So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away; and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; and the LORD’s hand was strong on me. 15Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel Aviv who lived by the river Chebar, and to where they lived; and I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days.

When God commissions Ezekiel to bring his word to the exiles, the prophet does not begin by speaking; he begins by sitting with the people in their situation. I came to them of the captivity, Ezekiel says, and I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days. Before he spoke a word of his message, Ezekiel sat among the exiles, in their place, overwhelmed as they were overwhelmed, entering into their situation and their grief. He did not come as one above them, delivering a message from a distance; he sat down among them, felt something of what they felt, was overwhelmed among them, before he spoke. This is a striking thing: before bringing God's word to people in affliction, Ezekiel first sat with them in it, entered into their situation, shared their place. There is a value in sitting with people in their affliction, entering into it, before we speak; presence and shared feeling can precede and prepare the way for words. Ezekiel sat with the afflicted before he spoke to them.

Notice what Ezekiel did before speaking: he sat with the people in their affliction, overwhelmed among them. He did not rush to deliver his message from a distance, as one untouched by their situation; he sat down among the exiles, in their place, and was overwhelmed among them for seven days before he spoke. He entered into their situation, shared something of their burden, felt with them, before bringing them God's word. This models a wisdom about how to come to people in affliction: not chiefly with quick words from a distance, but first with presence, with a willingness to sit with them in their situation and feel something of what they feel. Presence and shared feeling often prepare the way for words; the one who has sat with the afflicted can speak to them differently than one who has not. To sit with people in their affliction, entering into it, is itself a kind of ministry, and can precede and deepen whatever words we later bring. Sitting with the afflicted comes before speaking to them. Presence prepares the way for words.

That is worth taking to heart, for there is value in sitting with people in their affliction before we speak, entering into their situation. We can rush to bring words to those in affliction, speaking from a distance as ones untouched by their situation; but Ezekiel first sat among the exiles, overwhelmed with them, entering into their place, before he spoke God's word. There is a wisdom in this: presence and shared feeling can precede and prepare the way for words. To sit with the afflicted, entering into their situation, is itself a kind of ministry. Do not rush to bring words from a distance to those in affliction; sit with them first, entering into their situation, as Ezekiel sat overwhelmed among the exiles before he spoke. Sit with people in their affliction, entering into their situation, before you rush to speak, as Ezekiel came to the exiles and sat overwhelmed among them seven days before he brought God's word; for there is a value in presence and shared feeling that can precede and prepare the way for words, and to sit with the afflicted, entering into their place and feeling something of what they feel, is itself a kind of ministry that often does more, and prepares the way for more, than quick words spoken from a distance.

Lord, when you commission Ezekiel to bring your word to the exiles, the prophet does not begin by speaking; he begins by sitting with the people in their situation. I came to them of the captivity, Ezekiel says, and I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days. Before he spoke a word of his message, Ezekiel sat among the exiles, in their place, overwhelmed as they were overwhelmed, entering into their situation and their grief. He did not come as one above them, delivering a message from a distance; he sat down among them, felt something of what they felt, before he spoke. Show me what Ezekiel did before speaking: he sat with the people in their affliction, overwhelmed among them. He did not rush to deliver his message from a distance; he sat down among the exiles, in their place, and was overwhelmed among them for seven days before he spoke. He entered into their situation, shared something of their burden, before bringing them your word. This models a wisdom about how to come to people in affliction: not chiefly with quick words from a distance, but first with presence, with a willingness to sit with them and feel something of what they feel. Presence and shared feeling often prepare the way for words. Take that to my heart, for there is value in sitting with people in their affliction before I speak, entering into their situation. I can rush to bring words to those in affliction, speaking from a distance as one untouched by their situation; but Ezekiel first sat among the exiles, overwhelmed with them, before he spoke. To sit with the afflicted, entering into their situation, is itself a kind of ministry. Keep me from rushing to bring words from a distance to those in affliction; help me sit with them first, Lord, entering into their situation, as Ezekiel sat overwhelmed among the exiles before he spoke your word.