Rivers of Living Water

On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’”

-John 7:37-38

Science lesson time! Have you ever heard that sharks have the ability to “smell” a small amount of blood in the water while they are hunting? Did you know that humans have a similar skill that is even stronger? The human olfactory system can detect a chemical called geosmin at concentrations as small as 5 parts per trillion. Geosmin may be an unfamiliar word, but you know exactly what it smells like. I’d wager that you noticed its scent a good deal over the last week. Geosmin is the smell of rain.

Scientists believe that we adapted this neat little trait because of how dependent we are on water for survival. Pure water has no scent. It is just two hydrogen atoms stuck to an oxygen atom, so humans developed an amazing ability to smell wet dirt. Geosmin is released when water meets dry earth, and that smell helped guide our ancestors toward sources of water, without which they could not have survived. Long before weather apps and plumbing and bottles of water in the refrigerator, the smell of rain could mean the difference between life and death.

Our dependence on water is also one of the reasons it is such a consistent metaphor in Scripture. Genesis begins with the Spirit of God hovering over the primordial waters of chaos. Each of us was first nurtured in the water of our mother’s womb. A basket floating down the river delivered Moses from Pharaoh’s forces. God provided water from stones to sustain the Hebrews in the wilderness. The prophet Amos calls for justice and righteousness to flow forth like mighty streams. The banks of the Jordan River were the entrance to the promised land and the site of John’s baptisms. And in our focus scripture, Jesus stands at the temple and offers people living water.

The reason for this repeated metaphor is apparent. We are just as dependent on God’s love and mercy for our sustenance as we are on water. We may be able to survive for a while on our own effort, our own discipline, our own plans, and our own determination, but eventually our souls begin to dry out. We become brittle. We become weary. We become thirsty in ways that are hard to name but impossible to ignore. And to all who are thirsty, Jesus does not offer advice, or shame, or a self-improvement plan. He offers himself.

“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me,” Jesus says, “and let the one who believes in me drink.” That is the invitation. Not to pretend we are not thirsty. Not to convince ourselves that we can make it a little farther without help. Not to keep wandering through dry places hoping we will stumble onto something that satisfies. Jesus invites us to come to him and drink deeply of the mercy, grace, forgiveness, and life only God can give. May we learn to recognize our thirst, and may we trust the One who offers living water.

Rev. Ryan Young