- \n
- Where did you hear about it? (News, social media, school conversations, family discussions.)<\/span><\/li>\n
- How did it make you feel: confused? sad? angry? powerless?<\/span><\/li>\n
- Where have you seen someone choose peace instead of conflict?<\/span>\n
- \n
- It might be something small\u2014a friend standing up for someone being bullied, someone apologizing after an argument, or people from different backgrounds working together.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Transition to the texts<\/span><\/i>: In today\u2019s readings, God brings life to dry bones and calls someone out of a tomb. These stories remind us that even when the world feels broken, <\/span>new life is still possible.<\/p>\n
Text Read Aloud<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Appoint one person per reading.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n
- \n
- Ezekiel 37:1\u20135, 9\u201310<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
- Romans 8:10\u201311<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
- John 11:32\u201335, 38\u201344<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Can These Bones Live?<\/b><\/h4>\n
In Ezekiel\u2019s vision, God asks a haunting question while standing in a valley of dry bones: \u201cMortal, can<\/span><\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/03\/Untitled-design-25-300x225.png\")
<\/a>Photo provided by Michael Jannett, taken from public demonstrations of response to racially-charged events and advocacy for working with Muslim neighbors.<\/p><\/div>\n
these bones live?\u201d <\/span>It is a question that echoes whenever the world feels overwhelmed by violence.<\/span><\/p>\n
Recent news about war in Iran has raised fear and concern across the globe. Images of conflict spread quickly through television and social media. For many of us\u2014young, old, and somewhere in the middle\u2014these stories can feel overwhelming. When the world seems filled with violence, it is natural to wonder: Where does peace fit into all of this?<\/span><\/p>\n
The Christian story speaks directly into that question.<\/span><\/p>\n
In Ezekiel\u2019s vision, the bones represent a people who believe their future is gone. Yet God breathes life into what appears lifeless. Bones gather. Breath enters. A community stands again.<\/span><\/p>\n
The same pattern appears in John 11. Lazarus has died. Grief fills the air. Jesus does not deny the pain\u2014he weeps. But the story does not end there. Jesus calls Lazarus out of the tomb. Life returns where death seemed certain.<\/span><\/p>\n
Peace often begins in moments like this\u2014when people refuse to believe that violence or division must have the final word. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, <\/span>\u201cPeace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.\u201d (See transcription of that sermon, <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>.)<\/span><\/p>\n
In a recent statement responding to the war in Iran, ELCA Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry urged Christians to pray for those suffering and to continue seeking a just peace that protects human life and dignity. (Click <\/span>here<\/span><\/a> to read Bp. Curry\u2019s statement. Also see the ELCA\u2019s Social Statement on Peace <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>.)<\/span><\/p>\n
For followers of Jesus, peace is not passive. It is the courageous work of building relationships, pursuing justice, and refusing to let fear define how we see one another. Sometimes that work begins with friendship.<\/span><\/p>\n
Ezekiel 37 dry bones meaning<\/span><\/h6>\n
When I served as a pastor in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, I became friends with members of the Murfreesboro Muslim Youth. I also developed a close friendship with the imam of the local mosque, Imam Ossama Bahloul. These relationships opened my eyes to the depth of Muslim faith, helping me see my Muslim neighbors not as strangers, but as faithful contributors to our community. These friendships changed the way I saw my neighbors and deepened my understanding of how faith can bring people together for the good of a community.<\/span><\/p>\n
In a world that often feels like a valley of dry bones, friendship can be one way God begins to breathe life again.<\/span><\/p>\n
Together, we shared meals, gathered for picnics in the park, and worked side by side to feed first responders on Thanksgiving Day. When tensions rose in our community, we stood together in peaceful demonstrations: speaking out against travel bans and resisting efforts by white supremacist groups to recruit followers in our town. Through these experiences, I discovered that peace often begins with small, courageous steps: listening, learning, and refusing to treat others as enemies.<\/span><\/p>\n
Romans 8 reminds us that the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead lives within us. That means resurrection is not only a future promise. It is a present calling.<\/span><\/p>\n
When young people build friendships across differences, speak up for justice, and treat others with compassion, they participate in God\u2019s work of breathing life into places that feel divided or broken.<\/span><\/p>\n
Ezekiel 37 dry bones meaning<\/span><\/h6>\n
The valley of dry bones may still surround us. But God\u2019s Spirit is still breathing life into the world\u2014often through ordinary people who choose the work of peace. The question God asked Ezekiel still echoes today: Can these bones live? And how might God\u2019s Spirit breathe life through us?<\/span><\/p>\n
Reflection Questions<\/b><\/h4>\n
- \n
- Why do you think Jesus weeps before raising Lazarus? What does that tell us about how God meets people in suffering?<\/span><\/li>\n
- Where do you see \u201cdry bones\u201d, places that feel hopeless or broken, in the world today?<\/span><\/li>\n
- How can building relationships across differences be a form of peacemaking?<\/span><\/li>\n
- What is one way you could practice peace in your school, friendships, or community this week?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Closing Activity: One Act of Resurrection<\/b><\/h4>\n
Peace can feel like a big idea when we talk about war or global conflict. But peacemaking often begins with small choices.<\/span><\/p>\n
Ask each participant to think of one situation in their daily life where they could bring peace or justice. Examples might include:<\/span><\/p>\n
- \n
- Welcoming someone who feels excluded<\/span><\/li>\n
- Standing up when someone is mocked or bullied<\/span><\/li>\n
- Listening to someone with a different background or opinion<\/span><\/li>\n
- Refusing to spread rumors or hateful comments online<\/span><\/li>\n
- Learning about another culture or faith tradition<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Invite each person to write down one action they will take this week.<\/span><\/p>\n
Then say:<\/span><\/p>\n
- Standing up when someone is mocked or bullied<\/span><\/li>\n
- Where do you see \u201cdry bones\u201d, places that feel hopeless or broken, in the world today?<\/span><\/li>\n
- Romans 8:10\u201311<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
- Ezekiel 37:1\u20135, 9\u201310<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
- How did it make you feel: confused? sad? angry? powerless?<\/span><\/li>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n