Last night my youngest grandson was asking for water in a restaurant in Venice. The waiter said to him, "Aqua, Aqua", which I presume is Italian for "water, water". Evan (2) picked up the word straight away and started saying it over and over, with a cute twinkle in his eye. Its a special moment from our family holiday in Italy and Greece.
The theme of water been one that seems to have been recurring in various ways in my spiritual life over the last few weeks; one could almost say it has become my "talisman" for a while.You may have heard the word Talisman used of charms and spells, but a talisman is not necessarily sinister. One of its dictionary meanings is “anything whose presence exercises a remarkable or powerful influence on human feelings or actions.” Psychologists call the connection between our mind and a physical object “anchoring”. Spiritual directors recommend the use of devotional aids to help you direct yourself toward God. A spiritual talisman will do all of these. Here are some ways in which water has
been speaking to me recently:
1. I took the Auckland grandchildren to the Aqua Exhibition at Auckland Museum. If you haven't had a chance to see it yet I do recommend it, though at $15.00 it isn't cheap (preschoolers are free). AQUA is a multisensory adventure first created in Canada by NGO One Drop in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil. Interactive screens, circular projections, music and visual effects draw you into the experience and tell the story of water. We each carried our own lit-up water drop and interacted with the digital effects, by for example waving a hand to create a stormy sea. Along the way we learned how water is everywhere. It is present in every country and every culture. It is within every living being. The water cycle brings us life. But there are issues with water. Here in New Zealand, we take our fresh tap water for granted, but others are not so lucky. AQUA transported us to places where water is in short supply or seriously polluted. These inequalities are often the result of the uneven distribution of wealth. That means those of us in placesike like Auckland, where water is free and safe, have a global responsibility to ensure that everyone has access to safe water, in sufficient quantities, today and tomorrow. So AQUA powerfully reminded us that water is a vital resource for our planet. It inspires us to protect our oceans and fresh water supplies from contamination. ONE DROP is a non-governmental organization that fights poverty to ensure everyone on the planet has access to safe water, now and in the future.
2. This experience brought back vivid memories of my two-month study course in the Holy Land, eleven years ago. One afternoon we visited the lonely Negev desert south of Jerusalem. Some of us went for a little trek down into the desert canyon, where we spent half an hour in the blazing sun reading passages from the Hebrew Bible, psalms and prophecies which used the desert as a theme for expressing despair and also hope. Our guide Alan requested some minutes of utter quiet, so we could ‘hear’ the silence of the desert. It was an awesome experience; the silence was almost palpable. The wilderness was certainly a place that the patriarchs heard from God. The desert is such a spiritual place, because there is no water, and you are in constant danger of death, and very aware of the ultimate issues in life. To underline this we read the story of Abraham banishing his concubine Hagar and her son Ishmael into the desert, with one water bottle. She became so desperate with thirst that she wanted to turn away so she wouldn’t see her boy die. A member of our group who lives in Arizona told me later that just that year a group of illegal immigrants from Mexico had been deserted by their ‘coyote’ or smuggler, and all except one baby died; his mother had rigged up a water bottle over him and died of thirst herself. Water is still critical in many parts of the world, but in Godzone we can forget.
3. In the middle of all this, I was baptised by immersion. The history and theology of that very special event is recorded in a previous post, but it is just another example of water being brought to my attention by God. There are so many Biblical metaphors that connect baptism with God's saving action in other watery events - Noah's family surviving the flood, Moses' people escaping through the sea, Joshua's army stepping on to dry land at the Jordan, as well as Jesus' baptism there. Water is essential to life, and God's presence is essential to spiritual life. Thats why Jesus offers us "springs of living water" John 4: 4 - 14.
4. The very next memorable thing was that our church engaged in a self-denial exercise called Rice Week. This was to remind us of global inequalities and heighten our awareness of the needs in places like Nepal where we have a personal and missional connection. The idea was to eat rice for breakfast, lunch and tea, with no meat but using pulses like beans and lentils, staple foods in many parts of the world. This didn't seem enough of a challenge to me as we actually eat a lot of rice anyhow, although the introduction of dhal was a timely reminder of the blessings of simple food. But this whole water conversation in the preceding weeks prompted me to also give up espresso coffees and wine, in favour of lots of cold water. That sacrifice enabled me to remember not just that desert experience in Israel, but the needy folk in Garambeshi in Nepal, where we at Eastview are sending a team of eight men, including my son in law, to install gravity feed water filters and hopefully develop a local industry to carry on the work. I guess to be honest, I got myself through the deprivation – Yes I did feel that way! – by feeling more connected with those villagers and others around the world who have to carry water that may not even be clean, for miles every day. Then in a sermon I heard a penetrating critique of us affluent westerners doing things like rice week; identifying with the poor would be patronising, the preacher said and I felt chastened. But, he went on to say, the experience has brought into sharp relief what gifts we have been given. We are to enjoy them and appreciate our privileged life, but also to be generous in gifting on to others. I was humbled at my feeble attempts to express solidarity with Christians in developing nations, and heard again God’s call to bless others through the material blessings we have received. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)
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| Coleman in Venice, September 2011 |
5. This week my water experiences have been extended again, as six members of my family travelled amongst the canals of Venice, and today board a cruise ship and sail around the Adriatic for ten days. This is a blessing as we reconnect with children and grandchildren we have not seen for over twelve months. But there's no excaping the hedonism. I hope and pray that as I take that preacher's advice and enjoy and appreciate my privileged life, I will also see the people and places I visit with the Father's eyes, and not miss any opportuntiy to bless others.
To Chew Over: Look for ways God speaks to you through water this week.
You said you'd come and share all my sorrows
You said you'd be there for all my tomorrows
I came so close to sending you away
But just like you promised, you came here to stay
I just had to pray
And Jesus said,
"Come to the water, stand by my side
I know you are thirsty, you won't be denied
I felt every tear drop, when in darkness you cried
And I strove to remind you,
It's for those tears I died"
Your goodness so great, I can't understand it
And dear Lord I know now that all this was planned
I know You're here now and always will be
Your love loosened my chains, and in You I'm free
But Jesus why me?
And Jesus said,
"Come to the water, stand by my side
I know you are thirsty, you won't be denied
I felt every tear drop, when in darkness you cried
And I strove to remind you,
It's for those tears I died"
Jesus I give You, my heart and my soul
I know now without God, I'll never be whole
Savior, You opened all the right doors
And I thank You and praise You from earth's humble shores
Take me I'm Yours!
And Jesus said,
"Come to the water, stand by my side
I know you are thirsty, you won't be denied
I felt every tear drop, when in darkness you cried
And I strove to remind you,
It's for those tears I died"
Words and Music by Marsha J. and Russ Stevens
© 1972 Communique Music, Inc.
© 1972 Communique Music, Inc.
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