According to Smith-Christopher the infrastructure, group identity and security are an attempt to take people back to the way things used to be. When there were certain people, when the wall looked a certain way. It was their attempt in a time of crisis to bring order back in the way it used to be. It allowed the people to know who they were and in a sense where they came from. They try to bring balance between legal and spiritual.
Ezra wants to bring about fasting and prayer “…appeals to God for protection and assistance” (p. 158). Ezra focuses on spiritual encouragement, but is clear in who that entails. Although it is good to know who you are, the understanding of who is welcome, by Ezra, becomes a very exclusive group of people. There are only certain people who seem to be able to fit the mold. This is helpful because it limits the voices when trying to rebuild, but leaves others left out. Nehemiah is focused on “…political and administrative concerns…” (p. 160). As a military leader Nehemiah would be focused on protection by rebuilding walls for safety. However this same protection effort turned people to believing that is why they are famished and out of money. What was to be a good thing made people question their leaders motives.
Even though the community was in crisis, giving themselves an identity allowed them to stand out even though they were trying to fly under the radar (Smith-Christopher, p. 159). This is important in churches today who are trying to make a difference in their community during crisis. It’s important to know who you are first and live into who you are because the rest will fall into place. There were times that people wanted to be a part of the reform that were not from the selected group (Ezra 9-10). We are in a time of crisis right now, how will the church stand out? Will we stand out or will we fade into the background? Who will we be when we come back together? We are going to have to wrestle with our identity and direction after such a time as this, but maybe it’s time for us to re-look at who we are.