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"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" Matthew 5:6
The Rime (Rhyme) of the Ancient Mariner was written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and published in 1798. It tells the story of a mariner, who was doomed to sail aimlessly through stormy seas and adrift in hot endless oceans. They were endlessly drifting because the ancient mariner, on an impulse, shot and kill an albatross who was leading the ship out of the Antarctic ice sheets on which they were trapped. The ship's crew blamed him for their misfortune and placed the dead albatross around his neck.
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| The Albatross Around His Neck |
Like the sailors in the tale, we find ourselves adrift searching for answers to questions during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. Why is it taking so long for the pandemic to pass? Will we be able to maintain our jobs and livelihoods? We try to find meaning to this suffering and grief that affected so many families. We are apt to lay blame on anyone and anything. Some may even blame God.
Yet, this is exactly the right time to look to God. The Bible often spoke of times of famines, hunger and thirst during which people turned to God. During such times we look to God to be filled. In his struggles, the Ancient Mariner managed to pray, the albatross finally fell from his neck, his guilt was expiated and his suffering alleviated.
Yet, this is exactly the right time to look to God. The Bible often spoke of times of famines, hunger and thirst during which people turned to God. During such times we look to God to be filled. In his struggles, the Ancient Mariner managed to pray, the albatross finally fell from his neck, his guilt was expiated and his suffering alleviated.
"Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink" is a refrain of despair. There are other words about thirst and water, the words of Jesus to the Samaritan woman at the well. It is one of reassurance, "whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst again. Indeed the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
This conversation, Jesus Met The Woman At The Well was made into song in the 1960s and sung by Peter, Paul and Mary. It began with a simple question by Jesus, "Will you give me a drink." Jesus was thirsty and He knew it; conversely the woman was thirsty but she did not know. He led her step by step, going over embarrassing facts about her life, until she realised her greatest need. She met Jesus, He transformed her life.
My elder daughter, Debbie said, "It is so amazing how Jesus always had the right words to say to people. He was able to tailor his conversation to inspire the educated as well as the despised. At the well, Jesus met a Samaritan woman and he offered her the water of life. How appropriate, to be meeting at a well and talking about water! It was the right thing to say at the time." We are all seeking for answers especially now than ever before. There will be an appropriate word for us today. Come to Jesus, Come to the Water.
You said You'd come and share all my sorrows,
You said You'd be there for all my tomorrows;
I came so close to sending You away,
But just like You promised You came there to stay;
I just had to pray!
And Jesus said, "Come to the water, stand by My side,
I know you are thirsty, you won't be denied;
I felt ev'ry teardrop when in darkness you cried,
And I'm here to remind you that for those tears I died."
Jesus, I give You my heart and my soul,
I know that without God I'd never be whole;
Savior, You opened all the right doors,
And I thank You and praise You from earth's humble shores;
Take me, I'm Yours.
You said You'd be there for all my tomorrows;
I came so close to sending You away,
But just like You promised You came there to stay;
I just had to pray!
And Jesus said, "Come to the water, stand by My side,
I know you are thirsty, you won't be denied;
I felt ev'ry teardrop when in darkness you cried,
And I'm here to remind you that for those tears I died."
Jesus, I give You my heart and my soul,
I know that without God I'd never be whole;
Savior, You opened all the right doors,
And I thank You and praise You from earth's humble shores;
Take me, I'm Yours.
Lionel
I note that Jesus in ordinary conversations had a way of bringing in deep spiritual issues without being offensive. In dealing with people who needed healing emotionally, like this Samaritan woman, he was able to turn the conversation to speak to the heart. See how he gently brought this woman into a conversation not so much about religious issues but of something she needed deep inside. How appropriate and how inoffensive the conversation went!
ReplyDeleteThere was a write-up recently of how some doctors were thrusting Christianity onto their sick patients insensitively. One cancer patient, a Buddhist, recounted how 3 oncologists did that to him. The first doctor on breaking the bad news told him to kneel down and prayed with him. The second suggested he should go to church. The third spent 30 minutes on religion and five on medicine. "I didn't stop him because he is my doctor and because my life is in his hands. I didn't want to antagonise him," complained the patient.
This is what Bishop Solomon had to say in the newspaper article...
“We have always maintained that evangelism is part of our Christian faith. If you’re a good Christian, you have to tell others about Jesus Christ. But we have to do that with great sensitivity, especially in our multi-cultural, multi-religious society.I disagree with people who use their professional relationship which gives them an advantage to push their faith onto others, whether it’s a doctor-patient or student-teacher relationship. That’s unethical.But I think that if there’s an over-reaction to such cases, we lose out in other fronts. We will build walls and erode communications between people of different faiths. People will not be willing to talk about religion at all, and I don’t think that makes for a healthy open society.
I am a medical doctor myself, and you cannot actually divorce faith and religion from health issues. When you’re treating patients, their religious views are important and need to be taken into consideration.That dimension will be cut off from the process of healing if we get to the stage where talking about religion is complete anathema....But if the doctor brings up the issue and the patient is uncomfortable, then I think the line has been crossed."
We need in conversations on religion with our patients to be more sensitive and to realise that there is a inappropriate and unethical professional conduct line that can be easily crossed. Those of us who "want to be salt of the earth" must realise the subtlety of tastes and appropriateness.
Thanks Lionel. I went back to review the poem. Indeed, it has many allegories of spiritual truth applicable to our Christian walk.
DeleteYour sharing brought to mind another reference to water in Eze 47 :1-5.
Ezekiel 47: 1 to 5 The River of Life
The increasing depths of the river (water pouring out of the temple forming a stream and then a river)
- Ankle deep
- Knee deep
- Waist deep
- Over the head – river/water to swim in and not to walk through
It talks about our relationship with the Holy Spirit. It gets deeper and deeper as one matures in the faith. It talks about the need for us to interact with the Holy Spirit in increasing intensity and immersion; being overwhelmed such that we can wade but be carried away by the current/strength of the movement of the river simultaneously. Finally, it talks about letting oneself be carried by the river/swimming along with the Holy Spirit, and perhaps not knowing where it will lead one to, but always trusting and believing.
It will do us well to meditate on Jer 29 and contemplate its lesson for our current situation.
Shalom