“The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life” (John 4:14b NRSV).
One of my favorite images that captures my attention and helps to explain the source of my faith is the imagery of water. We are very fortunate to live within an hour of the Gila National Forest in New Mexico. Yesterday my family and I embarked on an adventure into the forest. My wife made fried chicken and the boys brought along a Frisbee. We were ready for action.
We happened upon an area that looked beautiful. It was approximately 2:00 in the afternoon and the temperature was registering 67 degrees. There was a creek that was flowing in the center of the area. My family and I were enamored with the water. The creek was shallow. It was approximately 6 inches deep with stones providing several passages over the creek.
We decided to take our shoes off, roll our pant legs up, and put our feet in the water. It was cold but extremely refreshing. We laughed and had a great time as we stepped onto the rocks in the stream. We were invigorated and felt a burst of energy as we clowned around and played in the water.
The idea that, from the very core of who we are, a life spring of this water will come out of our inner selves compels us to thirst for more of that precious resource. The water of God, like the cool stream in the Gilas, is invigorating and invites us to seek to act with joy and gratitude. May we remember that the spring of life of which Jesus speaks replenishes the spirit and motivates the soul to respond to our Creator and to our community in ways that are dynamic and exciting.
From a Pastor's Point of View 