Domes - Our Monthly Newsletter
Dunbar UCC
March 9, 2008
Ezekiel 37:1-14
John 11:38-45
Them Bones
Al Capone was famous for killing a lot of people and for getting rich from selling bootlegged alcohol. His lawyer, Eddie O'Hare, kept Capone out of jail for a long time. Eddie made so much money serving Capone that he and his family lived in an estate thatfilled a whole Chicago City block. But for some reason, Eddie decided to go to the authorities and tell the truth about Capone. He testified and within the year, he was shot to death on a Street in Chicago.
Why did Eddie O’Hare testify against Capone?
Some say he did it because Capone was going to prison any way and that the only way to keep himself out of prison was to make a deal with the government.
But maybe he was just tired of living a bad life.
So he changed --
Maybe that affected his son. Eddie’s son was a pilot in WW II who risked his life to save a whole fleet of US ships in the pacific. Like his father, he was shot and killed -- but many people lived because of what he did.
1.Why would we want to risk our comfort, or give our lives for others? Many people build safe tombs for themselves and live in them all their lives --
2. Why should we trouble ourselves if there are people who don’t have food to eat? We have food.
3. Why should we care if one out of every 100 US citizens is in prison? We’re not in prison.
4. Why should we be bothered if our government tortures people? No one’s waterboarding us.
5. Why should we care about immigrants who are deported every day? We’re not.
It’s easier not get involved with other people’s tragedies.
But that’s not why God put us here.
He put us here to be a blessing to others -- that’s what following Christ is
about.
Can these bones live --
Not always --
But sometimes Jesus comes to our comfortable tombs --
Like he did to Lazarus and Eddie O’Hare --
And he says: “Come out! I have work for you!”
And by a miracle -- we hear him -- and our dry bones start to move again....