Words of Light and Hope from Helena Crockford, LLM

Words of Light and Hope from Helena Crockford LLM

In journeying through the weeks of Lent we walk with Jesus’ on his forty days in the dry and thirsty desert wilderness. In the Gospel reading this Sunday, Jesus sits dusty and thirsty at a well, and tells the Samaritan woman ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’ (John 4.13-14).

Two poems which touch on the Water of Life, to ponder:

The Avowal by Denise Levertov
As swimmers dare
to lie face to the sky
and water bears them,
as hawks rest upon air
and air sustains them,
so would I learn to attain
freefall, and float
into Creator Spirit’s deep embrace,
knowing no effort earns
that all-surrounding grace.

And a poem by Olav Hauge
Don’t give me the whole truth
Don’t give me the sea for my thirst
Don’t give the sky when I ask for light
But give me a glint, a dewy wisp, a mote

As the birds bear water drops from their bathing
And the wind a grain of sand.

Coming up on 22 March is World Water Day. You might like to support the work of Water Aid, a charity working “to ensure everyone, everywhere has clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene.”

https://www.wateraid.org/uk/get-involved/all/faith-groups

Eternal God, we thirst for your love,
we long for your presence, we yearn for your peace.
Come, Lord, restore us that we may live to your glory;
through Jesus Christ who gives us the water of life,
Amen.