Monday, March 9th

Today’s selection comes from Luther Seminary:

Scripture: Exodus 17:1–7

We drown daily in a flood of water metaphors, even not counting the ones signifying our sacramental realities. Many of us may be tempted to read these devotions and go immediately metaphorical, drifting away from the materiality inextricably bound to the narrative reality of Exodus 17 and searching for the so-called deeper meanings of “wilderness” and “water” and “thirst.”

It is quite tempting to ignore how preciously God created and creates water’s terrestrial materiality. I know this temptation, especially because I am sitting here, privileged, in Minneapolis, the City of Lakes, looking out over our beloved Loring Pond, and living luckily in a state that often boasts of its 10,000 lakes.

Still, readers, know the basic truth. Earth’s creatures across the globe increasingly, and inequitably, suffer the most pressing water crisis of our times. Does Lent’s lament today—“Is the Lord among us or not?”—remain reasonable or even seem speakable?

Come, Holy Spirit, breathe life once more into your thirsting creatures in each and every nook and cranny of this good Earth. Amen.