Water

May the thoughts of my mind and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to you .
Amen

To start this morning I'd like to read you a story from the Mi'kmaq and Maliseet Nations in the Atlantic Provinces.
"Koluscap and the water monster."

Now that we know where bullfrogs come from I'd like to reflect on our scripture readings this morning.

Almost everything about the telling of this tale of the Samaritan women is now familiar to us, Gerald Sloyan tells us in his interpretation of the gospel of John.
She is a woman of the people, fully aware of the terms of the traditional rivalry between the Samaritans and Jews. Jesus' simple request for a drink from a historic well at mid-day becomes a discussion of water in a double sense. There is a simple exchange at the outset. And then the woman is puzzled at Jesus' ability to make good at his promise of supplying living water. He doesn't have a rope or bucket. How can he get the water? He promises a spring of water that wells up to eternal life. She asks for it, but on terms that indicate she doesn't really grasp his meaning.
The gospel uses everyday realities to convey the divine or heavenly. The objects that make up daily life are not despised and set aside. They are part and parcel of the new existence that Jesus invites us to. He approaches people not randomly or casually but as possible bearers of witness to him to the whole population.
Jesus is speaking to a Samaritan, symbolic of her people,. He is aware of everything that Samaria ever did from a Jewish point of view. He hasn't forgotten , but still accepts them, and all is forgiven.
The fact that the disciples leave and Jesus is left alone at the well, which goes against all traditions, teaches us to do what is right not what is socially acceptable. Jesus is going against the grain of social norms. To him the Samaritans are part of God creation also.

In his interpretation of psalm 104, James L. Mays talks about verses 10-23 describing the providence of the Lord for his creatures. Overall, the review tells how the lord uses his control of the world to provide for the life of things. It is founded on a kind of knowledge based on observing where and how creatures live. It is informed by a basic ecological sense of the interdependence of things. Water, land and the change of seasons and day and night form an intricate system in which creatures live. But in the Psalm the knowledge is not simply secular or technical. It is theological and given the form of wondering praise of God. What has been rent asunder in the modern world view, with consequences for motivation and conduct only recently grasped, is held together here- knowledge of the world and knowledge of God. To intervene in the flow of water, the habitat of birds and animals, the topography of the earth, is to breach an intricate divine ecology into which human life is integrated.
It is remarkable with what directness the human species is considered simply as one of the creatures dependent on the providing of God. Homo Sapiens appear as simply one more kind of creature that lives on the earth in the environment it provides.
In the praise of the creator, the human being sees itself simply as one of the creatures sustained by the providence of God. Faith in the creator teaches us that with respect to existence in the world and dependence on it for life, we are among many! " the Lord God made them all."

So how do we deal with the consequences of our actions in a constructive manner on this planet? How do we as individuals make an impact?
In the Presbyterian Church we have worked together with other Canadian Churches and church-related organisations in the cause of justice for over three decades. Since 2001 that work has been done through Kairos: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives.

This morning I'd like to give you a bit of an update of actions taken during the last year.
More than 60 mass mobilizations took place across Canada on or around the World Water Day on March 22nd. Organized by Kairos, Development and Peace, the Council of Canadians and CUPE, these marches, film showings, forums, political meetings, and simple moments of public witness made public our call to protect water and ensure that everyone has equitable access to this essential element of life.
And we have been making this a public issue all year long! When the current government came into office, the Globe and Mail reported that the single greatest item of correspondence in the office files was on water.
By the end of March, our campaign had resulted in more than 217,000 postcards being signed and delivered to the Prime Minister's office. In this congregation we opted to write as individuals to the PM's office, I hope you have followed up on that commitment. We expect to hear of many more when we ask for a final count after the campaign closes June 1. In addition, between March 16 and 23, more than 5000 of you "clicked for clean water" as part of an e-mail blitz to the Prime minister on the occasion of the World Water Forum.

In other areas, 175 municipalities and the Canadian Federation of Municipalities have signed on to the "Water Declaration" written by Development and Peace. The water declaration asserts our shared belief that water is a scared gift, a human right, and a collective responsibility that must not be commodified. Local groups and congregations have been taking action as well, sponsoring workshops, information sessions, raising funds for wells and worship services, like the five Kevin did in the beginning of the year, to highlight the water campaign. The educational focus on bottled water has been an eye opener for many people. As we learn about the issues behind the bottled water industry, we think about what we can do on a personal level to oppose the commodification of water. The Toronto Council of Development and Peace is selling reusable water bottles. Youth delegates at the BC Conference of the United Church are challenging all delegates at this year's annual meeting to go bottle free.
The General Council of the United Church meet last week where they will be encouraging the use of tap water by not providing bottled water on site.

Yet despite this volume of mail and activity, two years of sustained lobbying by Development and Peace, and years of action by the Council of Canadians. Our government will not declare water a human right and adjust its policies to ensure that all people have equitable access to this essential element of life. In this respect, Canada lags behind a standard established by the United Nations in 2002, when the right to water was recognized as an implicit part of the Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. Canada is a signatory to the covenant but has twice refused to recognize that it includes water as a human right.
In May 2006, the UN Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights reported on Canada's compliance with the covenant and said it "regrets that (Canada) does not recognize the right to water as a legal entitlement."

The eleven Churches and church agencies that unite Kairos will have a new water campaign focus for 2006-07.
Our government refuses to acknowledge the sacred gift of water in other ways as well. Notably by providing political and financial support to corporations operating overseas that have a terrible impact on the environment and that refuse to consult with local populations about the impact that their activities will have on these communities' natural sources of water. This is particularly true of industries such as mining-ventures in which Canadian corporation excel.
Clearly, there is much passion among Canadians for the protection and equitable sharing of water. Look at the great work that Friends of the Coves does right here in our own community. Just as clearly, there is much work to be done with our government on this issue. That is why Kairos will continue to campaign on water for another year. We will continue to look at our own personal responsibility for water and how best we can honour that responsibility, whether by living more cleanly, conserving more, or drinking less bottled water. We will, through meeting with MP's and sustained work at the municipal level, continue to assert government responsibility, and press for the recognition of water as a human right, and the policy changes that such recognition demands. But , Kairos will also in the congregational campaign, examine corporate responsibility for protecting and sharing water, and call for mechanisms to hold corporations to account for their overuse and pollution of water.

So, can we as Christians, follow Jesus' lead?
Can we go against the grain of popular culture?
Can we take a stand and say that water is more can just a commodity?
It is a sacred right!
All creatures have a right to access clean water.
Human beings see themselves simply as one of the creatures sustained by the providence of God. Faith in the creator teaches us that with respect to existence in the world and dependence on it for life, we are among many!
" the Lord God made them all."
thank you