It was then I saw a hand stretched out to me, in which was a written scroll which he unrolled before me. It was covered with writing front and back and written on it was: Lamentation and wailing and woe! He said to me: Son of man, eat what is before you; eat this scroll, then go, speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth and he gave me the scroll to eat.
Son of man, he then said to me, feed your belly and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving you. I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. He said: Son of man, go now to the house of Israel, and speak my words to them. (Ezekiel 2:8-3:4)
Ezekiel ate a scroll given to him by God. What was to be a scroll of lamentation, wailing and woe, once on the tongue, tasted sweet as honey. What had to be said was spoken and directed to an unreceptive audience. Ezekiel was to speak to Israel on behalf of God. But first, Ezekiel had to “feed his belly and his stomach.”
There are many times when we have to be honest with family and friends and speak the truth to them – to tell them when they have done something wrong and perhaps immoral. We have to tell them what they don’t want to hear, but they must.
We hesitate to confront them, and the words we must speak, as if written on a scroll, are difficult to voice because they may cause lamenting, wailing, and woe for them, as well as us. Our voice shakes.
We turn to our faith and God for the courage to say what gets stuck in our throats. We must be like Ezekiel and listen to God saying to us: “Go now to those who must hear you, and speak my words to them. Tell them to do what is right and just.”
Let's eat the scroll God has given to us – a honeyed scroll enabling us to feed and settle our bellies and stomachs to more easily speak the truth to those being deceived and believing in lies about themselves and others.
Deacon David Pierce
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