Fresh Water

What kind of water are you?

Are you fresh water like that which flows in a stream or from an underground spring?

Or are you salty like Ocean water or the so-called "Dead Sea"?

I know that in film and art water represents the spirit/spirituality/holy spirit.  It doesn't matter what form that water may take - river, lake, ocean, stream, rain, puddle, snow, ice, steam, mist/fog.  The films of Tarkovsky, Kurosawa, Fellini and Angelopoulos, make good use of this metaphor.

I started thinking about what kind of water I may be to others I interact with on a daily/weekly basis.   What triggered these thoughts was my reading of the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel in chapter 47:1-12, 22-23.

Ezekiel has a vision of a river coming out from the south side of the temple threshold and flowing east (which was the same direction the temple faced. 

Next a man takes Ezekiel along the river and measures the depth periodically.

The thing that stood out for me is that the further away from the temple the river flowed the deeper it became.   It was shallowest at the temple itself.    To my mind the temple represents God - the source.   And while initial enlightenment/refreshment is celebrated it is not meant to be boxed, packaged, caged or restrained in any way (vs 11 "But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt.").   Like the river it is meant to flow.  And the further it flows the deeper it becomes.  The more we include the wisdom in our every day lives, no matter how mundane they may seem at times our wisdom will grow and enlightenment be enhanced by our live experience and the interactions we have with others.   

Are you Fresh?

I'm not talking hygiene here.   I'm talking about your spiritual experience.   This same river that we've been talking about flows all the way to the sea where it empties into the sea.  This river water (spirituality) is so powerful that it actually transforms the sea itself turning the sea water into fresh water.  If we are fresh water; where we flow, everyone will benefit - not just us.     And those benefits will be never ending.   Ezekiel is given the metaphor of trees along the river of fresh water and is told, "Fruit trees of ALL kinds will grow on both banks of the river.  Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail.  Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them.  Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing."     Now that is some powerful water!  And again I believe what he is saying here is that we are to be that water to others.   We don't need to bring them to the sanctuary to become part of our religious institution.   We don't need to try and bottle the water.  Why?   Because, again, the water must flow to remain fresh.

An example of practical application is given a little later on in the chapter.   The next section Ezekiel is given a plan for dividing up the land Israel after the exile.   Again, remember the people (we) are to be the fresh water for others.  Ezekiel is told in verses 21-23, "You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel.  You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens who have settled among you and who have children.  You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you  they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes o Israel, there you are to give him his inheritance," declares the Sovereign Lord.

I couldn't help but think of the Israeli/Palestinian question and how things would be different if Israel actually followed this teaching and welcomed the Palestinians as one of them.  There's no reason why a Palestinian state could not exist within the nation of Israel.

After all, here in the United States we have 50 states and a federal district that coexist.

Too often we look at others who believe differently from us as aliens and treat them differently.   We use generic words like "they" and "them" in a derogatory way.   That needs to stop!   We are to consider others to be one of us - without regard for nationality, religion, philosophy and world view.   This also means that if you hear someone that has forgotten this we need to gently remind them of the beneficial approach to inclusiveness.

So let's dial this down to an even more personal level.   When you are engaged in conversation with someone (either at work or home) do you use a language of inclusiveness or separation?   When you hear the person you are talking to make character  remarks against someone they work with - how do you respond?  Do you join in the complaining?   Do you listen politely and change the subject?  Do you provide an alternative?   I know that it's popular for Evangelical and Fundamentalist Christians to bash Muslims.   But that is wrong and completely against what God has revealed to Ezekiel.   Yep you read right.   There is no reason why Christians can't coexist with Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, Hindu's, Sufi, Orthodox, etc, etc with each tradition enriching the Christians experience (and vice versa).   Coexistence is GODS WAY.   Oh, and it is also at the core of Jesus' teachings.   And why not?   It makes sense that the son would continue in the teachings of the father.  I will even go so far as to suggest that failure to coexist and accept others as one of us is not christian and is instead anti-christian.

WE ALL ARE ONE - Jimmy Cliff

Thanks for reading.

mobius faith.

The image above is simply titled "LEAVES ON BLUE WATER".