Controlling the Flow of Life

The Prophet Ezekiel is led to a vision of the waters of life streaming from the Temple in Jerusalem in the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today. The Covenant is the relationship between the Divine and humans where “I will be your God and you will be my people”. The fruit of the Covenant, like the waters flowing from the Temple, is abundant Life. The psalmist reflects on the awesome power of God as witnessed in the events of nature, storms, floods and earthquakes. We understand how impossible it is to control and master Nature. In the episode related by John, Jesus visits the healing waters of Beth-zatha and draws the wrath of the religious authorities by healing on the Sabbath. The attempt to control the movement of the Divine in our lives is very much a human activity. The Pharisees attempted to be authority over God. We attempt to schedule our relationship with the indwelling Spirit for the convenient times.