When was the last time you bought a bottle of water? The reason I ask is because today's Gospel is about water. Jesus spoke a lot about water. Jesus used a lot of water images. Why? Well, people were living in the desert. People understood how difficult it was to get water. People couldn't just walk into a store and buy a bottle of water like we can today. If Jesus was preaching today, he probably would not use all the water imagery because water is vastly available to us, although that might be changing before too long in our own culture. The reality is that water to the people of Jesus's time was incredibly scarce. It was difficult to come by. They had to dig these wells. And they had to go to the well wherever the well was. They didn't have running water in their home. They had to go to the well, probably in the center of the town, the village, the city, and they had to draw out the water. And there're probably other people waiting, so they probably had to wait to draw out the water. And then they would get the water.
Why water? Why did he use that image? Because that was the reality of their life. We talk about meeting people where they are and leading them to where God is calling them to be. We can do that in a thousand ways. And Jesus is doing that here. He's doing that by using something that's very real to their life, that's very scarce in their life, that is a challenge, it's something they have to think about every day, and that is water. He's using that to meet people where they are. And we all have thirst. We all have thirst. We all have hunger. In holy moments, I talk about hunger. I talk about the two hungers. The bushmen of the kalahari desert in Southern Africa talk about two hungers. There's the great hunger and the little hunger. The little hunger yearns for food and clothing and shelter, these sorts of things. And the great hunger, the greatest hunger of all is a hunger for meaning. And I think hunger and thirst could be used interchangeably here.
I think the people of our time are hungry for meaning. We are thirsty for meaning. And then in the book, I include this quote by South African author Lauren van der Post. He says - it's so powerful, it's such a great quote - "There's ultimately only one thing that makes human beings deeply and profoundly bitter." Think about that. You know bitter people in your life. I think we all do. There is only one thing that ultimately makes people, human beings, deeply and profoundly bitter. And that is to have thrust upon them a life without meaning. That's what our culture is doing is thrusting upon people a life without meaning. He goes on to say, "There's nothing wrong in searching for happiness. But a far more comfort to the soul is something greater than happiness or unhappiness, and that is meaning because meaning transfigures all." Once what you are doing has meaning for you, it is irrelevant whether it makes you happy or unhappy. You are content. It's powerful. So we have this hunger. We have this thirst. And the whole world and everyone in it wants to tell you what is going to satisfy that hunger or what is going to satisfy that thirst. This Sunday's reading is-- it's three lines. On the last day of the feast, the great day. Jesus stood up and proclaimed if anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me as the scripture has said, out of his heart, shall flow rivers of living water. Now this he said about the spirit, which those who believed in him what to receive. Whereas yet the spirit had not been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified. Where's the key thought? If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink. What is Jesus basically saying to the people of his time? This thing, this resource, this water that is incredibly difficult for you to come about every day that you have to think about that you have to plan your day around each day so that you have enough water, otherwise you will die and the people you love will die. This incredibly difficult scarce resource is abundantly available in me. And of course, speaking metaphorically, but the reality is, is that you and I, we are thirsty, desperately thirsty for something. Do you know what it is? Do you know what it is? And who or what or where do you imagine will satisfy this thirst? And what Jesus is-- he's saying it. If anyone is thirsty, let them come to me and drink. Whatever your thirst is, different to mine. Different to your spouses, different your kids, different friends, different colleagues at work. You've got your own thirst. You most likely know what it is. If you don't. take some time in the classroom of silence, reflect upon that. Work out what it is.
But then ask yourself, is anyone or any way or anything that you're trying to get to satisfy that thirst actually have a chance of satisfying that thirst? And have you tried the other option? Have you tried bringing that thirst to God and laying that thirst before God and saying, "God, I am thirsty, please, satisfy my thirst." That's the invitation this week. God bless you. Have a great week and remember, be bold and be Catholic.
