The Choice Is Ours

And it came to pass that God walked out one morning to watch the sunrise.  Sipping a second cup of coffee, God wandered through the gardens of heaven and looked out over the universe, delighting in creation.  Suddenly one of the angels from the house staff came running up.

“Hey, boss!  Did you forget that you are hearing special petitions this morning?  You’re due in the Great Hall in ten minutes.  And I have to tell you, there is a huge crowd in the waiting room.”

Meditation on Water

Because Easter was so late this year, the annual Earth Day celebration fell on Good Friday.  After considering this unusual convergence, and seeking some point of commonality, it occurred to me that water is central both to the life of Jesus and the life of our planet.

Examples of the role that water played in Jesus’ life are easy to find in the gospel narratives.  His ministry began with his baptism by John in the River Jordan, and his first recorded miracle involved turning water into wine.  Most of his public ministry took place on and around the Sea of Galilee; indeed, a number of his disciples were by trade fishermen, earning their livelihoods in intimate connection with the sea.  Familiar sea stories include Jesus’ calming the waves during a storm, walking on water as he approached a ship carrying his friends, and preaching to the crowds while seated in a boat a bit offshore.