Living Water
Updated: Sep 9
My journey this year has started with listening to my grateful lungs. Traveling back home to New Zealand and escaping Sydney's apocalyptic smog for three weeks left my lungs especially thankful. While there a friend asked me to describe Sydney air, I paused, glanced off into that magical place where thoughts go to form... "Well, it's like we are living in an oven set to fan bake, the casserole is burning and it's possible that the Swedish chef is in charge!" Seriously though, through listening I'm discovering that I'm attentive to creation in a new way through the bushfires. I'm trying to listen and understand through scripture how I must be open to mystery. A scripture passage from John has helped me to remember that all is gift. I'm hearing that life and already exists - it lives in our hearts...
On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37-39
Laudato Si is also overflowing with revelation for us, especially at this time:
"The universe unfolds in God, who fills it completely. Hence, there is a mystical meaning to be found in a leaf, in a mountain trail, in a "The universe unfolds in God, who fills it completely. Hence, there is a mystical meaning to be found in a leaf, in a mountain trail, in a dewdrop, in a poor person’s face.[159] The ideal is not only to pass from the exterior to the interior to discover the action of God in the soul, but also to discover God in all things. Saint Bonaventure teaches us that “contemplation deepens the more we feel the working of God’s grace within our hearts, and the better we learn to encounter God in creatures outside ourselves”.[160] ~ Laudato Si (233)
I’ve seen many social media posts that simply say ‘pray for rain’, and have been imagining how our firefighters would delight in the sweet touch of fresh rain on their faces. I haven't been able to shake the image of our incredible firefighters and of all the wildlife that have lost so much. I hope this new image sends out a message of connection and hope. ~ Jane.
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