Socio-environmental balance: a sign of hope in Ezekiel 47:1-12

Abstract

Ezekiel's prophecy contemplates the pain and anguish of the suffering of the exiles; at the same time, it casts on the horizon signs of hope for a new relationship between God and his people, capable of replacing the present situation of apathy and death with full life. The vision of the fountain flowing from the restored Temple, described in chapter 47 of the book of Ezekiel, is one of these signs of hope. It is a splendid vision that reveals elements of similarity with the creation narrative in Genesis 2, and transforms an exhaustive descriptive account of an architectural plan for rebuilding the Temple (Ezekiel 40-48) into new perspectives for recreating the primordial relationship between God, humanity and creation. Faced with the current social and environmental scenario, Ezekiel's prophecy takes on new nuances and prompts reflections capable of contributing to actions of protection and socio-environmental balance. In envisioning a new Temple, Ezekiel also envisions a new society, one that is enlivened by a relationship of fidelity with God and commits them to building new relationships that guarantee life. Relationships that encompass the right of the Earth, of other species to a safe and balanced environment, the right of the human community to food, nutritional, labor, cultural and religious security. Relationships that perpetuate the integrity and interconnectedness of ecosystem elements for generations to come. The Prophet Ezekiel commits us to promoting a new world of justice, peace and socio-environmental balance.