Readings: EZ 47:1-9, 12; JN 5:1-16
In the first reading from Ezekiel, we essentially hear a reading about water and how important water is to the life of a people. In the gospel, Jesus uses water as the tool for healing.
If you are like me, we have not been trained to read the scriptures this way, but they speak all the time about geography, ecology and a fundamental grounding to the land.
A few years back, you may remember the Dakota Access Pipeline that was being predominantly built through the tribal lands of the Lakota people. The phrase, “Water is Life,” emerged during that time as a cry of resistance, and I was reminded of it when I read Ezekiel and the gospel.
In the world I live in, it can be really easy for me to be unconscious about water and water use. I turn on the tap or flush the toilet, pour stuff down the drain or put chemicals on my lawn – all without thinking too much about the systemic impacts.
We can also see that the writer of Ezekiel knew a good deal about the region that they lived in – where the water flowed, the trees that grew there, what animals relied upon it for life, etc. Can we say the same?
So at the very least, let’s take Ezekiel’s reading to heart and think about water today. Every time you use water, be mindful. Think about where it came from. Every time you dispose of water, be mindful. Think about where it is going. Think about how much water is used in our everyday interactions.
Furthermore, think about the region’s water. What watershed are we in? Where does our runoff eventually end up? What impacts does it have on the non-human world? What animal, fish, plant and tree species are native to this region that rely on the water systems for life?
Lent is a time to take a sober and loving look at reality. We live in a world that has desecrated the waters, and we are located squarely in the middle of that problem. While we may not bear the blame for getting us to this point, we now shoulder the responsibility. Change starts by locating ourselves where we are. So for today, begin by becoming conscious of the water.
2 Comments
Francene C McCarthy
Water is mentioned so often in the gospels – the wedding feast at Canna, the woman at the well, John baptizing, the lame man at the pool of Bethesda. Each time it has a healing property and it makes me wonder when did we become so complacent about its use. Thank you for the reminder to be mindful, “water IS life” and we need to respect and cherish it.
Barb Simmons
I agree with Fran. I too admit that I take water for granted. Native Americans not only believe that water is life, they believe it is sacred. Indigenous people have so much wisdom when it comes to Mother Earth. We need to pay more attention to what they have to teach us.
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