79 East Main Street, Babylon NY 11702
First Presbyterian Church of Babylon
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The other young man, with an air of superiority, states, “What a dumb idea. Who’s going to pay for mountain stream water?” The second young lady sees the hurt on the face of the young man with the marketing idea and offers consolation.
Of course, time has proved the first young man’s idea quite profitable. Not only are there at least four national companies that supply single serving bottled water, there are a number of local companies. In fact, according to Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, the 2006 global sales of bottled water amounted to nearly 61 billion (with a B) dollars.
Besides being free of contaminates and chemicals (such as fluoride), individual serving bottled water has the advantage of being convenient. With bottled water, we can have fresh, clean water wherever we might go. However, the disadvantages are the same as the advantage: there seems to be an increase in tooth decay and other dental problems because so many people are drinking bottled water. And the plastic bottles are not easily disposed. Still, there doesn’t seem to be any let up in the use or sales of bottled water. Maybe, because no matter how much water I drink, I remain thirsty.
In John’s Gospel, Jesus stated that streams of living water will flow from those that believe in him. Of course, he was talking from a spiritual position. I think by living water, he meant that we would never thirst for more... that by believing in him, we would be continually spiritually fed. In fact, the living water would be overflowing and flowing forth I also think that by living water, he meant that we are to share that gift with others. If the city water supply became contaminated but we had an unlimited supply of uncontaminated water, surely we would share that water with those who have none. Jesus has given us the living water to do just that—share with other who have none.
Bottled Water = Temporary
Living Water = Permanent
Grace and Peace,
Several years ago there was a commercial on television that featured four young adults hiking through a mountain forest—two young men and two young women. In the commercial, they are walking along a beautiful, peaceful mountain stream. The stream is briskly flowing with clean, cold, refreshing water. One of the members of the party, a young man, has just filled a canteen with that water. Another one, a young woman, comments on the wonderful taste of the water in this particular mountain stream. The first young man then offers a most outlandish suggestion: “What if we could bottle this water and then sell it!”
THOUGHTS FROM THOMAS
