Rivers of Living Water

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37-39

I live on an island where is it almost always raining. There are rivers and streams everywhere. Water falls over rocks in many places at our sea level living. A majority of the people depend on the water for their livelihood, and the whole community faces towards the sea. Our harbors are filled with the most eclectic gathering of crafts, all which must withstand the Alaskan winters and function well in all sorts of seas. The people of Sitka understand living water. While at a meeting today in Los Angeles, I cannot help but wonder how different those words must seem and mean, to people who live in a desert climate. The throng of humanity challenges the notion of enough water for everyone, let alone streams of living water.

Jesus uses images of bread and water, the basic substances of life, to help people understand his relationship to the Creator. In him is the basics for lives, the strength for our daily living and the sustenance for our bodies and souls. We often seek God in our desperation rather than in our daily lives, moment by moment. We seek Christ when we are desperate and despairing rather than for our everyday basic needs. We are invited to go ahead and to dive right in, seeking God for the most basic needs of our lives.

Today I ask God to help me be dependent on Christ for everything. May we not rely on our own capacities but rather offer our gifts for the good of others, trusting that God will provide even our very basic needs. May we set out today, however high the surf might be, trusting that we are not alone when we have rivers of living waters from God.