Home > Lenten Blog 2024

Water

March 12, 2024

Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12  |  John 5:1-18  |  Psalm 46:1-8

With all that water is, it is no wonder it winds its way through our stories and beliefs. In Ezekiel 47: 1-9, 12, the river brings life. “It will become fresh; and everything will live where the river goes.” That same river that was too deep and strong to cross also fosters fruit-bearing trees and healing.

In meditation, we are often directed to center on our breath and the flow of air through our body. The thread of water through today’s readings led me to similarly meditate on how water washes through our lives. Water that quenches. Water that flows. Water that floods. Water that heals.

The human relationship with water is remarkably powerful. We are dependent on water for survival. Up to 60% of our body weight is comprised of water. We rely on water for transport, agriculture, and our fishing industries. Water is a key ingredient to the livelihoods of many in our state whose boats we rely on to bring fish, lobsters, and other culinary delights from the sea. There are, of course, also times when we fear water. Water can erode, crash, and destroy. The same ocean that tickles our toes as we frolic along a sun-warmed beach can easily rage and topple stone benches along the Narragansett Seawall and sweep away our coastline sands.

Take a moment to close your eyes and reflect: how does water flow in your life?

Jen Cormier