Revelation 8: 10-11 The
third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell
from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of
water--the name of the star is Wormwood. A
third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died
from the waters that had become bitter.
According to the European parliament, ‘access to clean drinking water is a
fundamental right, but it is not a fact in many parts of the world.
Contaminated water causes 1.5 million deaths a year, 2.5 billion
people live without basic sanitation and one in six people does not have
access to clean water.’
You would think that in the 21st
century, unclean water would not be a problem. With all of the wonderful
scientific minds and amazing technology at our disposal, clean water should be
a given. However, a distinct lack of proper funding, coordination of resources,
and political unity bedevils humanity from achieving this goal. Until we really
want to do this, millions of people will die each year from a lack of clean
water.
It’s not just a problem for
under-developed countries, either. Here, in the ‘wealthiest’ nation on Earth,
unclean water and polluted springs are issues, too. Our wee church at Erin
supports a wonderful but necessary program of installing and maintaining filter
systems for clean water in rural Tennessee. People who live just thirty miles
from Knoxville don’t have clean water which is a shameful thing. We can find
billions of dollars to fight foreign wars; we can spend billions more on
building up foreign nations, constructing bridges to nowhere, or adding pork belly
expenses to Congressional laws, but we don’t have the political clout or
apparent will to eradicate unclean water in our own neighboring communities!
In the Book of Revelation, when the
world is finally judged by God, a terrible and catastrophic event occurs. A
star falls from the sky, which blights one third of the planet’s water supply,
causing billions of deaths. This will be a devastating blow to all of humanity,
and the star is given the hideous name of ‘Wormwood,’ which really means
‘bitter poison.’
No matter when these events will occur,
we still have our own current crisis of unclean water throughout the world. If
Christ’s Church really wants to be effective and relevant in the world today,
then His people need to become pro-active about guaranteeing clean water as a
fundamental human right. Scientists and geologists are already finding
solutions, but it’s up to all of us to advocate for clean water and pressure
our current political representatives to make this their priority, too.
Questions for personal reflection
Do I take clean
water for granted? Where are the unclean water problems in my community? What
can I do about this?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we sometimes call You
the ‘Water of Life,’ because You refresh our weary souls. Sadly, there are many
people in the world in need of life-giving water instead of death-infested
water. Convict our hearts to do something positive about this, especially in
the unclean water areas of where we live. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
John
Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If
you would like to comment or ask a question about today’s message, please send
John an email to traqair@aol.com.
Today’s
image is a commissioned drawing that John created for a worship conference
taking place in 2015. It’s called “Thirsty Ones.” If you would like to view a
larger version, please click on the following link: Thirsty Ones
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