Rivers of Living Water

 

Somewhere up ahead on the block, poorly aimed sprinklers have watered the street during the night. The spray collected and turned into a steady flow along the curb. As the sun rose and reflected off the water, it appeared as a river, flowing out of the east. It was strangely beautiful.

I remember as a boy being amazed each time we would cross the bridge that spanned the Arkansas River. At Little Rock, the river is wide. I wondered, both to myself and aloud, how it was possible that the river never ran out of water. It flows and flows and flows, steady and strong. How could it be?

Herman Hesse writes, “Have you also learned that secret from the river; that there is no such thing as time?" That the river is everywhere at the same time, at the source and at the mouth, at the waterfall, at the ferry, at the current, in the ocean and in the mountains, everywhere and that the present only exists for it, not the shadow of the past nor the shadow of the future.”

Rivers hold a powerful presence in the stories of the Bible. There is a river in the garden at the beginning and a river flowing from the throne of God at the end. In between, rivers are the settings for healings and wrestling with angels and baptisms. Rivers mark journeys and crossing rivers mean a new beginning.

Jesus says, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” This river is truly “everywhere at the same time” because it goes with us every step of our journey. It is within us. And, amazingly, this river never runs out of water. I suppose that is why that kind of life can best be described as eternal life.

Peace.