In Ezekiel 1 we see a divine interruption in the everyday affairs of Ezekiel, an exiled priest. There's no reason to expect Ezekiel was doing anything unusual. His activities are not mentioned. In all likelihood he was going about his daily business, fulfilling his vocation. Yet in the midst of this apparently unremarkable day, Ezekiel is interrupted by a vision from God.
We could make arguments from the symbols mentioned in the vision. Many have done so. Is there some fruit in this kind of practice? Probably so, but it isn't where we want to go today. We see that in this vision God interrupts Ezekiel and shows him something of heavenly reality which seems quite foreign and difficult to express in human terms.
We could try to describe the appearance of God as the person seated on the throne. Of course, in this we would be as fruitless as Ezekiel, who tries to describe the human form he sees on a throne, but comes up with a description which bears very little resemblance to you or me. God's presence in Ezekiel's vision is so astounding he cannot find words to describe what he sees.
Here's what I would like to look at today, though. How does God interrupt our lives? When we are going about our routine, mundane affairs, does our Lord interrupt in some way? Does he do something breathtakingly divine? Consider the way our Lord and Savior has communicated with his people in Word and Sacraments. Consider the natural revelation of his divine power all around us. Consider the way the Lord has created and is actively sustaining the world. Every breath we draw, every thought or emotion we experience, it is all evidence of the presence of our Lord.
Jesus Christ has created this world. He has redeemed it to himself through his incarnation, his life, his death, his resurrection. In this time of Epiphany, are we intent on seeing the Lord who has appeared to us? Or maybe we are too busy with dwelling on our mundane life to see the divine context in which we live that life.
May the Lord grant us eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to respond when he interrupts.
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