Better Than a Flannel Board

“And now, son of man, take a large clay brick and set it down in front of you. Then draw a map of the city of Jerusalem on it. Show the city under siege. Build a wall around it so no one can escape. Set up the enemy camp, and surround the city with siege ramps and battering rams. Then take an iron griddle and place it between you and the city. Turn toward the city and demonstrate how harsh the siege will be against Jerusalem. This will be a warning to the people of Israel.” (CEB)

Ezekiel 4:

When I was a boy at the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, I learned many a Bible story thanks to flannel boards (sometimes called flannelgraphs). A flannel board is a large piece of cardboard or Masonite that is covered with flannel cloth. This provides the background on which a teacher places images made of felt. Typically, these images would include essential characters and items from biblical stories.

So, if a teacher wanted to tell us the story of Moses at the burning bush, she’d use a felt cutout of Moses, a bush, fire, a staff, a snake, and perhaps some sheep or rocks. Dramatizing the story on a flannel board brought it to life, especially for those of us who had never seen digital animation. I expect that the advent of computers has lessened the demand for flannel boards. Why use felt figures to tell a biblical story if you can show a clever video with talking vegetables instead?

God did not provide a flannel board for Ezekiel. But he did instruct his prophet to communicate through a variety of dramatic enactments. In the beginning of chapter 4, for example, the Lord instructed Ezekiel to draw a map of Jerusalem on a clay brick. Then, using small objects, Ezekiel was to build the physical elements of the seigeworks surrounding the brick. Finally, the Lord told the prophet to put an iron plate (or griddle) between him and the brick/city. Perhaps this was to represent God resolution to remain apart from Jerusalem during its time of judgment.

In the rest of chapters 4 and 5, God has Ezekiel act in strange ways in order to dramatize the divine message. Surely, God knows that visual images and dramatic actions are sometimes more powerful than words alone. In fact, when God wanted to demonstrate his love for us, he didn’t shout “I love you” from the heavens or send a Valentine’s Day card etched in stone. Rather, God became human in Jesus, living among us, and dying for us on the cross. In this way, we see the love of God played out before our eyes. Much better than a flannel board, don’t you think?

You and I may never be called by God to build models of Jerusalem under siege. But we do have the opportunity to dramatize the truth of God through how we live each day among our colleagues at work, our family members, our neighbors, and our friends.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: If you grew up going to church, what kinds of dramatizations do you remember? Why do you think God instructed Ezekiel to communicate through dramatic enactments? In what ways might you be able to dramatize the Gospel in your daily life?

PRAYER: Gracious God, thank you for communicating to us in ways we can understand (at least in part). Thank you most of all for revealing your love and grace to us through Jesus, through his life, death, and resurrection.

Help me, dear Lord, to live out my faith in such a way that people can see your truth alive in me. May I be a living testimony to you each day. Amen.