Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that he was the source of living water. It is such a poetic image. It is an image that we can think about and feel deeply in our heart and soul. Water is the source of all life. Water is at the heart of the destruction of the world if the flood stories of so many civilizations and religions are to be believed. I think water could even be likened to the Spirit, it permeates every fiber and the essence of our being. Every cell, every living thing on this planet needs water to live. Without water we surely would all die.
Is it any different than with God? Can we survive a single moment without the love and sustenance of our Creator? These are such fundamental thoughts. Can we think about how we are all joined, all dependent on and cleansed by water? No one is different, no one can escape this aspect of creation.
Let us look into our world and see how we handle water? Is it as freely given as God's love? Has water been weaponized? If humanity and creation have certain rights, should not water be one of them?
Our thoughts and prayers are not enough to equalize and assure the world that water is a God given right. How do we handle companies that restrict and profit off such a required aspect of life? It is not unheard of that people buy bottled water for it's purity and quenching properties at a value even higher than that of gasoline. And yet, what value do we place on the water of Flint Michigan? Do we love our brothers and sisters that live there? What value do we put on the water of the oceans polluted with our miasma of 'progress' and 'civilization' ? How much trash and waste do we generate and spoil our own existence with?
If water is so fundamental to life and is so infused into our daily and Sacramental lives, how do we honour that essence? The living water which Jesus offers is not only a spiritual truth and offer, it is a reminder of a fundamental truth which we seem to forget or dismiss.
How can we avail ourselves of this living water? How can we show love and respect for all of God's creation as an integral part of that respect?
For living water. We pray.
John 7:37-52
On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.” ’ Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, ‘This is really the prophet.’ Others said, ‘This is the Messiah.’ But some asked, ‘Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he? Has not the scripture said that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?’ So there was a division in the crowd because of him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, ‘Why did you not arrest him?’ The police answered, ‘Never has anyone spoken like this!’ Then the Pharisees replied, ‘Surely you have not been deceived too, have you? Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law—they are accursed.’ Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, ‘Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?’ They replied, ‘Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.’
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