The well is deep

February 09, 2018

The well is deep

With a long rope, she lowered the 15 litre yellow plastic container further and further down into the well.  The concrete platform veiled the depth of the cistern that she and many neighbors around the church compound used to retrieve water.  We had just arrived for Officers Councils in the Webuye Division, about an hour’s drive from Kakamega, when I saw this beautiful girl carrying out her daily chores. Her name was Gloria.  I was curious and, with permission, peered into the yawning reservoir.  Surprisingly for me, though without cause, the water appeared far below the surface.  It had been a while since I stared into a well.  As this slender young girl gently pulled back her vessel, hand over hand, up to the surface, I marvelled at the sight of the crystal clear contents spilling out.  I was delighted to see the water wasn’t cloudy but unsure if what looked pure actually was. Did the water still need to be filtered and boiled before consumption?  Likely. 

Water is a priceless commodity.  Being susceptible to disease or merely staying alive is greatly affected by access to clean drinking water. There are more than 780 million people around the world (over 300 million in Sub-Saharan Africa) who are without access to safe water. In 2010, the United Nations General Assembly recognized the human right to clean water and sanitation, which are essential to the realisation of all human rights and still so many live without it.  It’s staggering. For years, I know I have taken for granted that I routinely reach to turn the tap in the bathroom or kitchen sink and there it is, accessible and abundant but this is not the case for everyone. For many, it doesn’t happen at all. For others, like my young friend, it is a daily laborious task to have what is critical for survival.  This girl had to literally ‘go deep’ to retrieve what she needed for herself and her family. It took effort.

Sometimes what we need (or want) most in life isn’t easily attained.  While we believe the Creator God meets our needs, it can require our cooperation or it can be dependent on the partnership of others.  It can mean labour, endurance, and strategy as well as a willingness to keep going when circumstances are tough and the hope that someday things will be better.  

Hundreds of years ago, another woman found water at a well when she needed it most. Her name was Hagar and her story is found in the Bible. She was a loyal employee (a servant) but she was despised and treated badly.  Though possibly not innocent in the conflict, she was in many ways, a victim of injustice. She became a fugitive, running aimlessly into a dry, barren dessert but amazingly found herself near a spring where she not only found water, but an angel appeared and gave her hope (Genesis 16).  Sometime later Hagar has a son and once again she is ‘sent away’, this time with a small child and limited resources to survive on.  When the supplies are quickly depleted, Hagar draws her crying son to her breast, seeking to console her hungry boy. In her sunken despair, she cries out to God and for a second time, water appears (Genesis 21:17-21). Hagar declares a beautiful name for the Creator. “You are the God who sees me” Genesis 16:13.  A spring in the desert, water from a well, and hope is renewed.

We are so dependent on water. Before the first breath of life is taken, it is a form of water (the amniotic sac) that protects the fetus, allowing a baby to develop.  At the end of life, water is often the final physical requirement. It brings and sustains life and it is a right for all of us to have.  

It is not coincidental that the symbol of our Christian salvation is also water.  Similar to my chance meeting with Gloira in Webuye, Jesus had an unplanned conversation with a woman at a well, and says to her: “look to me and I will give you life-giving water … everyone who drinks normal everyday water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give, will never thirst” (John 4:10 & 14 – my paraphrase).

How can we help others have access to the water they need? The annual Partners in Mission campaign in Canada as well as the Gifts of Hope initiatives provide a great opportunity for you to give so that The Salvation Army can help provide such life essentials as water (and other basics) to dispense hope around the world.  As quoted in one of this year’s PIM videos:  Hope is giving someone a reason to expect something better for tomorrow and in the future.  

Two days ago we received an email form an Officer friend with an offer from a non-Salvationist  to provide funds to construct a well in Kenya.  We were so grateful.  We know not everyone has resources to provide such large amounts of money for big projects but never forget that every small contribution helps. 

When you reach for your tap today, or when you flush your toilet, take a moment to be thankful. And whenever you know there is an opportunity to support helping provide safe drinking water to those in the world who are without it, think deeply about what you can do and then act.

Whether it is physical or spiritual water, I pray that someday everyone will have access and drink freely.

Song # 430, Salvation Army Song Book

“The well is deep and I require a draught of the water of life.

But none can quench my soul’s desire

For a draught of the water of life.

Till one draws near who the cry will heed,

Helper of men in their time of need

And I believing find indeed

That Christ is the water of life.”

Enjoy your H2O today. J