Water of Life

The image from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel in the Roman Catholic Lectionary is of a great flow of water from the Temple bringing abundant life to the arid Arabah region. This phenomenon is experienced seasonally as the flood waters of rivers overwhelm the banks and awaken our awe at the power of Nature. As the waters recede we witness life growing on the once flooded river plains. This miracle is so tied to our daily living. It is the concern of our prayer. We are nonchalant about the usual natural cycles. We take notice and attend to our relationship with the Divine when the extraordinary or uncontrolled Nature touches our lives. The psalmist recognizes that God is “a very present help in trouble”. The Gospel of John relates another episode when Jesus demonstrates that the ‘present help’ of the Divine is not bound by human regulation. The fear of loss of control puts legalistic policies at a greater importance to some religious authorities than being present witnesses to the extraordinary intimacy of the Divine with Creation.