Water Service

WATER SERVICE 2008
REV. DAVID ROBINS
One of the family speakers at Helen Williams memorial service this summer, told a story about a conversation that Helen had with her granddaughter over lunch. The young granddaughter was having a delightful time, feeling grown up, eating in a restaurant with her grandmother. Taking a sip from her water glass, she exclaimed, “Isn’t this water the greatest!” I’ve thought of her enthusiasm every time I’ve taken a sip of water this summer, wanting to be reminded that even as simple and ever present as water is, water deserves my reverence, my appreciation, my enthusiasm. If I can be enthusiastic about water, then the rest of my day will be a breeze.
Water Sunday makes me think about the times that I have been surrounded by water, and the feelings that come with that experience….feelings such as isolation, vulnerability, awe, peace, and one time in a hurricane—anxiety. Being surrounded by water also makes me feel more connected and friendly toward the other people around me.
This past summer Jean and I were fortunate enough to be granted scholarships to Star Island, where we attended the International Affairs week. All of my island feelings were present;
The 30 minute boat ride gave us a good sense of how isolated we were in the ocean.
With heavy rain almost every day, and leaking roofs and ceilings, we felt vulnerable to the elements.
We were in awe that 300 people could inhabit an island that small. We were in awe of the lightning, and storm clouds…the waves crashing.
We found moments of deep peace in the little library, and sitting on a bench outside, reading and watching the ocean and the cormorants, and seagulls.
While on Star Island, I was reading an article about a team of scientists who went to the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
This ice sheet has a volume of 700,000 cubic miles and an average thickness of 4,000 feet. The scientists explored the ice in places where no human being had ever set foot. This ice sheet impacts every coast line and island in the world, and for eons it has been melting and freezing, sometimes raising the level of the seas by 15-20 feet. We were able to be on Star Island, because the ice sheet remains mostly frozen, otherwise, Star Island would be covered in ocean.
        Is it God that we encounter when the salt water in our veins comes close to the salt water in the ocean, and our eyes look out upon water that touches every part of the earth, water that determines life and death for all species?
What does this reverent encounter ask of us, but to be fair to other life; to love as much as our hearts will bear; and to walk humbly with power.
        Water is power in many parts of the world. If you have clean drinking water you have a certain amount of power to live, to work, to make things, to control people and events. I’ve been reading about how much water is required to sustain me every day. This morning I ate two pieces of toast, and that bread required 20 gallons of water to produce. I had two eggs…which required 106 gallons of water. I had a veggie burger that required maybe 500 gallons of water, and a cup of coffee that required 37 gallons of water. My breakfast alone took almost 600 gallons of water.
        I think of water as one of the forms of Spirit of Life. As we sing, “spirit of life, come unto me, blow in the wind, rise in the sea, spirit of life come to me” I think of water as a form of this spirit of life coming unto me.
        Not only is water everywhere around us and in us, water is one of the most present molecules in the universe. If we wanted another name for an omnipresent God, we couldn’t do much better than call the sacred, that which creates and sustains us, water.
 
Benediction…from Rumi
Out beyond ideas of right and wrong,
There is a field,
I’ll meet you there.