Water from the Rock & World Water Day

But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.  I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 

                               Exodus 17: 3-6 NRSV

 Ruth, my partner of nearly 48 years (46 married) is a patient person who rarely gives me the side-eye -- or she may be very stealthy. Just the same, I have been receiving baleful looks and sighs recently because I'm aware that waterways are opening up and I'm itching to get out there. 

We are both avid canoeists and kayakers and being on the water scores of times during the pandemic has saved our sanity. We aren't deterred by a fear of capsizing but Ruth prefers warmer air temperatures than what we see in the forecast for today, which is World Water Day. Actually, the theme for this year isn't what we are able to see in lakes and rivers and streams. It's what lies below:

GROUNDWATER - MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE

Groundwater is invisible, but its impact is visible everywhere.

Out of sight, under our feet, groundwater is a hidden treasure that enriches our lives. 

Almost all of the liquid freshwater in the world is groundwater.

As climate change gets worse, groundwater will become more and more critical. 

We need to work together to sustainably manage this precious resource.

Groundwater may be out of sight, but it must not be out of mind.

We are increasingly aware that aquifers around the planet are being depleted as humans stick the equivalent of giant straws down to water sources and suck up what has existed below the surface for millenia. And in our quest -- lust? -- for oil chemicals are pushed underground to force it to the surface, often contaminating essential sources of potable water. In Canada we contaminate our groundwater and waterways with the excessive use of road salt. 

                                                            Moses Strikes the Rock -- Marc Chagall 

In 2010 I took part in a week-long seminar at Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, which was part of a decade long project called  Earth-honoring Faith: A Song of Songs. The focus that year was  Water and a Baptismal Life and it was exceptional in its variety. A person from the water authority in Santa Fe spoke to us about the looming crisis for the declining aquifer which supplied the capital city of the state and the efforts to reduce water usage. 

In the exodus story in scripture Moses strikes a rock and water gushes forth for the parched people of Israel as they sojourn in the wilderness. The apostle Paul uses this imagery as well. Water is a practical necessity for all of us and a spiritual element in most religions. 

Years ago I saw that there was congregation the Southern US, Water from the Rock Baptist Church, and I wanted to go there just for the name. 

I could say more, but I need to persuade --pester? -- Ruth...