The readings for this Third Sunday of Lent are filled with images of water and thirst─St. Paul says, “the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” Jesus speaks of living water at the well: a spring of water that is spiritual and wells up to eternal life.
I was thinking about the importance of water to those who live in the desert; especially in the time of Jesus. The simple act of needing a drink meant walking (at times) a great distance to the well, and then taking away only what water they were able to carry. (Water is pretty heavy…) Even in today’s world, clean water is still difficult for many people to get and to have for everyday use. (We are so lucky in Michigan to be surrounded by clean water!) There is even a prediction (like so other many important, life-giving things) that clean, potable water is a future commodity for selling and control.
This past week we saw many people without electricity due to that crazy ice storm—so suddenly many people were without the basic needs for every day life: heat, light, etc. I often think that these sorts of experiences can wake us up in the midst of our complacency and help us to be grateful for the so much that we have—the ice storm was a very Lenten experience in our secular lives for many of us, waking us to gratitude. For those of us who believe, we should realize that we have the living water of our Savior every day and always! No ice storm can take that away!
The Samaritan woman was excited to know that Living Water would be available to her any time she needed it, she wouldn’t have to go far, and it was a never-ending spring. All of us, like her, should be excited about this—and our Lenten journey is to help us understand and live her experience at the well with Jesus. Drink up!
Keep singing!
Elizabeth Dyc
I was thinking about the importance of water to those who live in the desert; especially in the time of Jesus. The simple act of needing a drink meant walking (at times) a great distance to the well, and then taking away only what water they were able to carry. (Water is pretty heavy…) Even in today’s world, clean water is still difficult for many people to get and to have for everyday use. (We are so lucky in Michigan to be surrounded by clean water!) There is even a prediction (like so other many important, life-giving things) that clean, potable water is a future commodity for selling and control.
This past week we saw many people without electricity due to that crazy ice storm—so suddenly many people were without the basic needs for every day life: heat, light, etc. I often think that these sorts of experiences can wake us up in the midst of our complacency and help us to be grateful for the so much that we have—the ice storm was a very Lenten experience in our secular lives for many of us, waking us to gratitude. For those of us who believe, we should realize that we have the living water of our Savior every day and always! No ice storm can take that away!
The Samaritan woman was excited to know that Living Water would be available to her any time she needed it, she wouldn’t have to go far, and it was a never-ending spring. All of us, like her, should be excited about this—and our Lenten journey is to help us understand and live her experience at the well with Jesus. Drink up!
Keep singing!
Elizabeth Dyc
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