What does a bucket of water mean?

When my dad enlisted in the army during World War II, he decided he wanted to fight for his own piece of America. He purchased a property outside of Ely, Minnesota, on the border of what has become the Boundary Waters.  When he came home to put the war behind him, he spent much of the next year preparing logs and building a cabin on the site.  It is a wonderful place to read, pray, reflect, and retreat from the world.  There is no electricity.  Luxury is a two-seater outhouse and an outside pump. The last few years, however, the pump has needed some repairs.  This summer’s project for Kirk and sons was to pull the pump, replace the leathers and drive it back into the ground.  It was quite a job but with the success of abundant clear water again.  Each time I am at the cabin and then return to the world of modern conveniences, I appreciate what it means to just flick a switch or turn a tap to meet my needs.  This year I have been especially mindful of how much I take for granted clean water.  

Water is probably the only natural resource to touch all aspects of human life - from agricultural and industrial development to the cultural and religious values embedded in society.   Some anticipate that future wars will be fought over water, not oil.  Recent statistics report 1.2 billion people live in areas with inadequate water supplies and global water demands are expected to increase 40% in the next 10 years.  In just one day, more than 200 million hours of women’s time is consumed by collecting water for domestic use.   More people in the world own cell phones than have access to a toilet.   As much as going to the cabin isolates me for a short time from modern conveniences, my usual daily American life insulates me from harsh global realities.    With the recent devastation on the east coast from Hurricane Irene, the power of water is undeniable in other ways as well.  And so,  I have been thinking about water.  What does my water usage say about my values?  How do I respect the power of water? What does a bucket of water mean to me - to Vermont - to the world?

The Samaritan woman at the well, knew the power of water.  She knew that collecting and using water had cultural implications.  And Jesus says, "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."   I am so blessed that my bucket is full.