Living Water

Cindy told me emphatically over lunch that she needed to read me a quote from Brother Yun's book Living Water...and I thought it was so good that I should share it with you guys too! :)

"God has long been turning contaminated water into living water. Before Elijah was taken to heaven in a whirlwind, Elisha asked for a double portion of his spirit. The very first miracle that Elisha performed occurred after the men of Jericho said to him, "Look, our Lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive" (2 Kings 2:19). Is this an accurate description of your own life, or your church? Is the water also bad and the land unproductive? If so, don't lose hope, because we serve a God who can intervene and transform your life. Elisha instructed the men to bring a new bowl with some salt in it. He threw salt into the town's spring and declared, "This is what the Lord says: 'I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.' And the water has remained wholesome to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken" (2 Kings 2:21-22). When Jesus Christ changes you, not only will streams of living water flow from within, but that fresh blessing results in the surrounding land becoming productive" (127-128).

I just spent a couple hours with Nomura-sensei, driving through the countryside to an orphanage where we hope to rebuild connections and offer help. As we drove through lush gardens, orchards, and rice fields, I was reminded of the promise of life and hope that God gives... Working in the church in Japan is not different than working in communities all over the world. People fight. There is pain. Some of the arguments and darkness that other church members dwell on seem ridiculously needless and selfish. Many times, I find the arguments and selfishness coming out of my own heart. I struggle with when to yell and when to love--for myself, as a sinner, and for others.

So often the water that comes out of us is nasty, acid...bringing death instead of life. But Jesus promises streams of living water...life...the church where I am working is called "Fukushima Izumi Lutheran Church," and "izumi" in Japanese means a spring of water...I pray that for all of us here, we continue to be healed daily from the destructive effects of our infected water, and that God would "salt" us and cleanse us, so that living water really would pour forth in this place...