Liminal Space of Despair AND The Breath of Hope

These forty-days of Lent are places where identity is reformed, faith is tested, and renewal becomes possible as it mirrors the experience of being caught between death and resurrection, between loss and new life. It is a time of spiritual wilderness, much like the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37. This passage offers a powerful image of how God meets us in liminal spaces—not to leave us there but to bring about restoration and new life.

 

Ezekiel 37:1-14 describes a vision where the prophet is taken to a valley filled with dry bones—a symbol of Israel’s despair and hopelessness in exile. The bones are lifeless, scattered, and abandoned. In this vision, God asks Ezekiel, “Son of man, can these bones live?” (v.3). It is a question that resonates deeply with anyone who has experienced the uncertainty of a liminal space.

 

We are invited to confront our own valleys of dry bones—the places in our lives that feel lifeless, uncertain, or beyond hope. Like Ezekiel, we are challenged to trust that God can bring renewal even in the most desolate circumstances.

 

The valley of dry bones parallels the spiritual wilderness experience of Lent. Both are places of waiting, testing, and spiritual struggle. It often feels like wastelands—places where life seems to have drained away, where answers are unclear, and where we are tempted to give up. But these spaces are not without purpose. They are where transformation begins.

 

In Ezekiel 37, the turning point comes when God commands the prophet to speak to the bones:

"Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life’” (vs.4-5). The bones come together, flesh appears, and breath enters them. What was once dead is now alive. This is the power of God’s restoration—He does not leave us in the valley but breathes new life into us.

 

We are invited to acknowledge what is dry and lifeless within us, to surrender it to God, and to trust in His power to renew. Just as the bones in Ezekiel’s vision did not come to life on their own, our own renewal is not something we achieve through effort alone. It is the work of the Spirit.

 

The season of Lent does not end in the wilderness—it leads to Easter. Just as the valley of dry bones was not Ezekiel’s final vision, the cross is not the end of the story. Liminal spaces are not places where we remain forever; they are thresholds that lead us to transformation.

 

As we journey through Lent, Ezekiel’s vision reminds us that even in the most barren places, God is working. Even in the in-between, resurrection is coming. And even in the valley of dry bones, the breath of God can bring new life.

What do you need to put to death in order for God to bring new life in your life?