“We thank you, almighty God, for the gift of water to sustain, refresh and cleanse all life.” These are the words that begin the prayer over the water in the baptism service. They are words which remind us how important water is: good, fresh, clean water sustains, refreshes and cleanses. Three things that are so important for humans and all living things.
And we have seen over the past summer just how important and precious water is. We have seen the effect of too much heat and too little water on the plants around us, and on our wildlife, let alone the people who have been affected. Water is essential for life: this is exactly why it is such an important symbol for Christianity. In our Gospel on Sunday, Jesus speaks of life-giving water, an unquenchable water, unending, which will give true life in all its fullness. He is of course speaking of himself, but it is because water is so essential for good life, good living, that he uses this to describe himself as the one who provides, who sustains, refreshes and cleanses us all. Jesus is the one without whom we cannot live Godly, sustained and fulfilling lives.
Jesus uses the symbol of water as a way of explaining how faith in him brings, renews and sustains life. It allows us to grow and deepen our faith so that our faith may flow out into our lives and then into our communities and all may taste the living water through our thoughts and words and deeds nourished by Christ, in God – because without the living water we wither and perish, we cannot sustain our good deeds, our hopes. Without the living water we cannot hope to see “justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
Indeed, water is vital for spiritual life, for our active spiritual life, just as good, clean water is necessary for physical life. Access to good clean water is necessary for humans and all creation to thrive. If water is contaminated, then all creation suffers: nothing can thrive in diseased or polluted water; it just spreads more pollution and destroys what it touches, whatever touches or drinks from it. We need to respect and protect water and water supplies so that all creation can be sustained by it. Part of our stewardship of creation is to maintain access for all things to good water. This then nourishes our spiritual natures by protecting what God has given freely and enabling all to freely benefit and access it. And so, we must monitor our use of water, protect the rivers, lakes and seas from pollution of all kinds, and work to ensure that all people, all creatures of our God and King, all life – flora and fauna – is sustained, refreshed and cleansed by good clean water. Then we will know that we are filled with The Living Water, Christ, as we show our compassion and live our refreshed and sustained lives in his name in the world through our concern for all things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small.
Revd Jackie Sellin