Water: the trinitarian substance that contains multitudes
As a liquid it cleans, quenches thirst, and bears vessels between land masses
It also floods homes and communities, leaving behind physical and financial ruin
As a solid it preserves our food, locks toxic gases beneath permafrost, and cools us off in extreme heat
It also induces hypothermia, downs power lines, and creates treacherous road conditions
As a gas it provides warmth and energy
It also dehydrates our bodies and explodes under intense pressure
When so many are trapped in place by snow and ice
When the flow of water through pipes has stopped
When power and heat have become scarce resources
The delights and dangers of water in its many forms are made manifest
God who separated the waters into above and below, land and sea
God who nurtures each of us in a watery womb
Be with those who are suffering during winter storms
Be with those who are helping the cold, the unsheltered, the medically fragile
Be with all of us, whatever climate we inhabit
as we wrestle with our own multitudes within –
our best and worst impulses –
so that we might live the covenant we entered
when we were baptized by water as well as Spirit
Amen
Laura Stephens-Reed is a clergy and congregational coach working with ministers and churches across the ecumenical spectrum. Having served in a variety of pastoral roles and denominations, she is primarily affiliated with the Alliance of Baptists and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and has ministerial standing in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Based in northwest Alabama (United States), Laura is married to a United Methodist pastor, and they have a seven-year-old son. She blogs weekly at laurastephensreed.com.
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