If you look at Egypt in Google maps (other online map services are available), you can easily see the course of the River Nile through the desert. You can’t see the water but what you can see the greenery of the life that grows alongside it. It’s the same in the outback, you can see the evidence of rivers because of the life that flourishes along it. Life on earth is impossible without water and rivers bring an abundance of water, and therefore life, with them. Just look at how many major cities of the world are built along rivers; they are necessary for our trade and commerce too. This week we celebrate River Sunday as part of the Season of Creation.
Our reading this week concerns a river. Taken from the book of Revelation, John is describing what the New Jerusalem, the Holy City, looks like. This is the time to come, at some point in our future, when God’s kingdom is finally and fully realised. He describes seeing a river that flows from God’s throne in the centre of the city out into the main street. What strikes John is that this river waters the Tree of Life that brings healing to all nations. As we know, there is no more disease or death in the New Jerusalem, this is due to the tree of life, which owes its own life to the river that flows from God’s throne. As Revelation is full of symbolism, some commentators feel that this river represents God’s Holy Spirit, the source of life, flowing out into the world. It is this that makes all life possible.
While Revelation may be some way off in our future, we are nonetheless encouraged to live as people of the kingdom of God in the present. Jesus told us that the gift of the Holy Spirit would lead to rivers of living water flowing from our hearts. Wouldn’t it be good if God’s love poured out of us and brought life to those around us? Wouldn’t it be good if rivers of love flowed out from our churches into our communities bringing life to them? What if there was a spiritual Google maps available and you could see life flourishing all around our churches because we are the source of God’s love? We’re not meant to dam up God’s love and keep it for ourselves. Our churches are not meant to be reservoirs of love. We receive so we can give, God’s love is meant to flow out from us into the world. That’s something we can work towards now while we wait with anticipation for the promised end to come. If our churches were like this, think what a revelation that would be!
(Photo credit Rev John Flaherty)