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Seven Weeks for Water 2016, week 4: "Water: from a spiritual feature to a factor of discrimination in the Holy Land", by Fr Michel Jalakh

The gap between demand and supply of water in the Middle East--and the urgent need to reduce the gap needs to be discussed seriously. We need to address the challenges and the available opportunities to ensure sustainability of water in the region. Today, on the eve of Lent, and upon the attention of the international organizations and non-governmental and humanitarian organizations upon the subject of water, due to its importance for the continuity of life and by coincidence with the World Water Day, several questions are asked in terms of the Middle East as a whole or the Holy Land in particular. Water is a basic necessity of daily life, and cannot be dispensed with because of its importance for humans, animals and plants. Towns and villages were established only where there was a resource of water. In this context, Apostle Peter says, "By God's word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water." (2 Peter 3:5).

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Seven Weeks for Water 2016, week 3: "Pilgrimage of Justice through the Beatitudes of Matthew (5:3-12)", by Ani Ghazaryan Drissi

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness..." 

(Matthew 5:6a)

The justice and righteousness of the fourth beatitude are presented by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew as a necessity. This justice is the way to happiness promised by the fourth beatitude: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6). Only those who hunger and thirst for divine justice will be satisfied and filled with happiness. However, for centuries, a major question arises over the meaning of this justice: what is the justice that Matthew presents? Why, contrary to the evangelist Luke who presents a physical hunger and thirst (Luke 6:21), does Matthew emphasize the need to suffer hunger and thirst for righteousness? What kind of justice does the first Gospel present?

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Seven Weeks for Water 2016, week 2: "The water of life - not in Palestine. A Kairos perspective", by Hind Khoury

“To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.” 

(Revelation 21:6) 

It is not a coincidence that our holy book, the Bible, comes from a desert area: Palestine, Jordan and Egypt. In fact, water has been and continues to be truly the source and essence of life. What the Israelites experienced in biblical times, drought and water shortages, is the experience of Palestinians today.

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Seven Weeks for Water 2016, week 1: "And we are still thirsty for water!", by Bishop Munib Younan

Salaam and grace to you from Jerusalem, the Holy City. As an Arab Christian, I am thankful for the opportunity to write a reflection for this year’s “Seven Weeks for Water”. Of course, this part of the world always has been dealing with water issues because of its dry climate and few water resources. Today, however, the Palestinian people face an even greater water challenge. It is a crisis that grows worse year after year.

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Seven Weeks for Water 2015, week 7: "Theological Reflection on Water from a Salimist (Korean Eco-feminist) Perspective", by Prof. Chung Hyun Kyung

The last in the series of theological reflections of the Lenten campaign “Seven Weeks for Water” is by Prof. Chung Hyun Kyung, a Korean Theologian teaching at the Union Theological Seminary in the USA. She reflects on the issues related to water from a Salimist (Korean eco-feminist) perspective. She highlights how we cannot serve both God and the Mammon at the same time and that Lent provides an opportunity to repent from our sins of abusing resources of mother earth, particularly of water, driven by capitalism. She emphasizes strongly on the “restorative justice” in making our relationship with God and nature – a just one!

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Seven Weeks for Water 2015, week 6: "Bringing Paradise Closer to Earth", by Susan Smith

The 6th biblical reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water 2015 is by Susan Smith, a Professor of Law and Director of the Certificate Program in Sustainability at the Willamette University, USA. She teaches environment law, including water law and is a water activist. She represents the United Church of Christ at the International Reference Group of the Ecumenical Water Network of the WCC. In this reflection she highlights that the kingdom of God/ paradise can be witnessed here on this earth, if we make water available for all for their basic sustenance with dignity, contrary to the model where water is “harnessed as fuel for the engine of economic growth to serve the twin gods of economic efficiency and profit”.

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Seven Weeks for Water 2015, week 5: "Prophetic voices coming from the Pachamama", by Veronica Flachier

The fifth biblical reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water 2015 is by Veronica Flachier, a journalist and theologian from Ecuador. She is a representative of the CLAI (Latin American Council of Churches) to the International Reference Group of the Ecumenical Water Network of the WCC and currently one of the co-chairs. In this reflection, she highlights that the water crisis we currently experience has been determined by the ambition of certain powerful corporations that formulate the rules in a world that is regulated by the logic of the consumer driven market, where not only water is a commodity, but so is the entirety of nature and even the human beings. Only by re-ordering the quality of the relationships in the frame of ethics and justice, can we dream of re-ordering our Pachamama – the mother earth.

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Seven Weeks for Water 2015, week 4: "Water, Image of the God of Life", by Elias Wolff

The fourth biblical reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water 2015 is by Elias Wolff, a Roman Catholic priest and professor from southern Brazil’s Curitiba region and a representative of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) to the International Reference Group of the Ecumenical Water Network of the WCC representing the CNBB. He highlights that water as a gift of God becomes the image of God, who gives life. It is an instrument by which the life plan of God comes true on earth. God’s self-revelation is sometimes experienced through the image of water.

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Seven Weeks for Water 2015, week 3: " Pilgrimage of Water Justice: A Liturgical Celebration", by Rommel F. Linatoc

The third biblical reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water 2015 is by Rommel F. Linatoc, the Christian Conference of Asia representative to the International Reference Group of the Ecumenical Water Network of the WCC. He is currently the executive secretary for Christian Unity and Ecumenical Relations at the National Council of Churches in the Philippines. He highlights the importance of using water imagery in our liturgies to talk about justice. He also challenges us to not limit our liturgical celebrations to Sunday services but that they should become a part of our life.

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Seven Weeks for Water 2015, week 2: "Carrying our cross for water justice: stories from the subaltern communities - Indian context", by Rajendra Sail

The second biblical reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water 2015 is by Advocate Rajendra Sail, a founding member of an ecumenical social change organization, Raipur Churches Development & Relief Committee (RCDRC), in Chhattisgarh (Central India). Through this reflection, he challenges the rampant commodification of water by the profit oriented corporates, when people are denied access to water for a dignified living.

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Seven Weeks for Water 2015, week 1: "Engendering Water: An Eco-Feminist Reading from Southern Africa", by Kuzipa Nalwamba

The biblical reflection for the first of the Seven Weeks for Water 2015 is by Kuzipa Nalwamba, an ordained minister of the United Church of Zambia (UCZ), who is currently pursuing her PhD from University of Pretoria. She highlights  the undeniable underlining gap between men and women’s political, economic and social conditions, contribution and participation,  which also gets reflected on access to water. More often than not, the burden of meeting water needs for the families, unfairly rests on the women.

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Seven Weeks for Water 2014, week 7: "A Lenten Journey: From the wilderness of drought to the springs of living water", by Stephen Larson

The seventh and final reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water 2014 is by Stephen Larson, the interim pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Geneva, English-speaking congregation. In this reflection, he narrates the “watery Lenten journey” of his congregation, inspired by the EWN’s Seven Weeks for Water. His congregation chose water as the theme for all the 7 weeks of Lent, including Holy Week through Easter. You can find various worship resources used by this congregation during their Lenten journey on the EWN website.

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Seven Weeks for Water 2014, week 6: "Mission as Breaking Ground: Jesus’ “I Thirst” and its Relevance Today", by Raj Bharath Patta

The sixth Biblical reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water 2014 is by Raj Bharath Patta, an ordained pastor from the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church in India, currently serving the Student Christian Movement of India as its general secretary. He understands the fifth word of Jesus  on the Cross (“I thirst”), as expression of his physical need. In this reflection, Patta illustrates the missiological relevance of this word of Jesus to us today, in our own contexts.

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Seven Weeks for Water 2014, week 5: "No one owns water, it is God's gift", by Fulata Moyo

The fifth  Biblical reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water 2014 is by Fulata Mbano-Moyo, a Malawian Reformed systematic theologian and  WCC's programme executive for women in church and society.   Reflecting on the story of the Samaritan woman, she highlights that water is life: important for renewal; needed by everyone, regardless of race, sex, age, ability or any other quality; a gift of God that should not be privatized and confined to the powerful so as to deprive the less powerful; and that like the Samaritan woman, each one of us should make sure that we work towards making physical and spiritual water accessible to all.

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Seven Weeks for Water 2014, week 4: "Water – A Gift of God and a Human Right: A Critique of Anthropocentrism", by Geoff Davies

The fourth Biblical reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water 2014 is by the “Green Bishop” Geoff Davies, executive director of the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environmental Institute. Citing several examples from the Bible, he brings a strong critique of the anthropocentric  understanding of our theology  and  encourages us to become “earthkeepers”. He also strongly advocates that water  is a gift of God and no one should be denied of this life giving resource.

 

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Seven Weeks for Water 2014, week 3: "A pilgrimage towards water of life", by Guillermo Kerber

The third Biblical reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water 2014 is by Guillermo Kerber, the World Council of Churches programme executive for Care for Creation and Climate Justice. Based on a personal experience of a pilgrimage on water in the Bible, he underscores water as the “source of life” and introduces water as the protagonist of crucial moments in the history of people’s lives in the Bible.

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Seven Weeks for Water 2014, week 2: "Water for Life", by Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm

The second Biblical reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water 2014 is by Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, Germany. Citing  examples from the Bible, he highlights that water is absolutely necessary for life and that everybody has the right of free access to water for their sustenance,  irrespective of their economic status.

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