Thought for Today
Genesis 2:10 A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches.
Psalm 78:16 He made streams come out of the rock, and caused waters to flow down like rivers.
Matthew 3:5 Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
John 7:37 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, 38 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.'"
Sunday is Pentecost. Monday is Memorial Day. I have recently been reading and reflecting on John Calvin’s words about our innate knowledge of God. “Calvin believed that humans are born with an innate knowledge of God. We know intuitively within ourselves that there is a God who exists and stands behind all things, including us ourselves (1.3-4)” (Coffee with Calvin – Daily Devotion, pg. 2)
This morning, all of this is swirling in my mind, a mighty, powerful confluence of 3 great rivers. A majority of the world’s population lives in close proximity to a stream, river, lake or ocean coast. Our own home is mere feet from a pond and only a few miles from the Merrimack River. Our church is only yards from the mouth of the Merrimack River as it empties into the Gulf of Maine.
Since so many live close to water, most of us have seen what happens when 2 streams converge or when a stream empties into a river or lake. I have lived almost my entire life within miles of either the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf of Maine. I have seen the turbulence of such convergences.
In school, as I studied Thermodynamics, I learned about laminar (smooth) flow and turbulent (chaotic) flow. Laminar flow is essentially smooth, as calm as moving water can be, and only mildly erosive to whatever conduit is conducting the flow. Turbulent flow, however, is the opposite. Turbulent flow always engenders entrained air or gas and often results in erosion and/or cavitation. Both are destructive to whatever conduit is conducting the flow. But, for some purposes, turbulent flow is highly preferable.
Rivers and streams, lakes and oceans are all mentioned frequently in the Bible. Sometimes literally; sometimes metaphorically. There are many reasons why. Planetary scientists and astrophysicists know that water is essential for human life to exist. In the search for exoplanets, they look for signs of water. Our earliest ancestors-in-the-faith understood the importance of water. Much of our faith developed among nomadic herdsmen. The search for water for their herds was critical to survival. They used all of that both literally and metaphorically to convey messages about our Creator God.
So, what’s going on in my mind with that mighty, powerful confluence of 3 great rivers? How are Pentecost, Memorial Day and our innate knowledge of God converging? Is the convergence laminar or turbulent? Is one better than the other in terms of our faith? If you have read anything I have written or heard any sermon I have preached, you know to expect my answer: “Yes!” “No!” Maybe?” “Sometimes!”
On Memorial Day we honor all who have sacrificed their lives in military service to our nation. On Pentecost we honor God’s gift of the Holy Spirit. Both are worthy of being honored. We know that some who sacrificed were Christian. We know that some practiced other faiths; and some were not people of faith. All, however, were motivated enough to put themselves in harm’s way.
As I think about that and as Pentecost looms close on the horizon, I cannot help but wonder whether one of the ways in which God’s children, consciously or not, interface with the Holy Spirit is in dedication to duty, a dedication to service to an idea, or an ideal. Dedication to the full measure of that duty, service, idea or ideal.
Our Creator God certainly understands and honors such dedication. John 3:16 tells us that God was just so dedicated to God’s Creation. As I think about all of this, I believe that this confluence has the positive effect in its turbulence of mixing and uniting our knowledge of the Holy Spirit, our innate knowledge of God and our dedication to duty, service, idea and ideal.
Stay safe, listen to the Holy Spirit, trust God,
Pastor Ray