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The Biblical reflection for the first of the Seven Weeks for Water 2014 is by George Zachariah, associate professor at the United Theological College, Bangalore, India. Drawing on insights from the book of Revelation, he rejects the imperialistic market forces that tend to commodify common resources, including water, and affirms water as a free gift for all.

Jesus uses water as an effective and surprising channel to demonstrate the central aspect of his vision for the disciples' ministry. According to John's gospel the Last Supper took place in an undisclosed and secret room, in order for Jesus to be alone with his disciples and loved ones. There were no slaves or helpers to break the bread or to pour the wine - just the gathered few.

Nipe maji ninywe, maji ya uzima Yesu akasema mmesha yapata…(Give me water to drink, the living water; Jesus said you already have it…), thus goes a famous Swahili song that captures the need and great desire for water in Kenya. Many are still pleading – give us water;  how can we get water?

At the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Ricardo Petrella, a professor, author, and water activist from Italy, reported that Nestlé and Coca Cola are buying up large tracts of land in Brazil that contain permanent water springs. Those multinationals are investing vast sums of money in Europe in the bottled water market. Their aim in South America is the same. The International Monetary Fund has put pressure on African governments to accept water privatization as a condition for their receiving subsidies for development. 

The biblical writings reflect the conditions of life in a country where water was scarce and therefore precious as the most vitally necessary means of survival. People depended on water from springs and wells, or from rainwater collected in cisterns which were carefully dug out. The availability of a well or cistern was of particular importance for semi-nomadic people and their flocks. As the conflict between Abraham and his son Isaac with Abimelech shows, the ownership of a well could easily become the subject of quarrels between those with large flocks (Gen. 21, 22ff; 26, 15ff).

Throughout history civilizations have flourished wherever there has been a source of water, whilst others have faded away or collapsed due to scarcity of water resources. People have fought and died for even small patches of water.

My parish church features a large baptismal font where infants and adults alike are baptized. During Sunday liturgies for most of the year, the soft sounds of flowing water provide a peaceful backdrop during moments of silence and prayer and remind us of our baptism.

Like the ticking of a clock marking out time, water drips noisily. Maybe it drips off the edge of a stone or roof in times of rain and plenty, or perhaps from a badly turned off tap in societies where earth's most precious and vital resource is unconsciously wasted.

During these past Seven Weeks for Water we have touched upon but a few of the many practical ways by which individuals and communities can make this world and the economy a little more just, more compassionate, and more caring towards both people and creation. This includes but is not limited to how we use and share the gift of water.

In the 20th century, humanity produced more food than at any other time in history. But while today's agriculture and food systems are extraordinarily productive they have also created tremendous pressures on natural resources and eco-systems. 

In this season of repentance, the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (EAA) encourages us to reflect on the fact that more than one third of the food produced on this planet for human consumption - the daily bread for which we pray and with which we are graciously and abundantly gifted - is wasted; not through natural disasters, but through our own disgracefully negligent stewardship of this gift. 

You probably have heard of the "ecological footprint" or the "carbon footprint". Did you know there is also a "water footprint"? For example, the average water footprint of a single hamburger is 2400 litres and it takes about 4100 litres of water to produce a simple cotton t-shirt. In everything we consume, water is an essential element.

Water is a key element of biological, meteorological, ecological, economic and political reality. It also has a deeply spiritual meaning in the world's religious traditions, including Christianity. Water plays a vital role in the beliefs, stories and practices of all religious traditions.

Water is the lifeblood of the planet as well as the economy. In the Bible, it is one of the symbols for God's generosity and blessing, for healing and liberation. Yet in today's economy, we often do not share water generously and with compassion. It is being appropriated and becomes a bone of contention. 

In these verses the psalmist describes a situation of danger that leads him to cry out to God for God’s protection and salvation. 

What is being described is not a passing situation. It has been happening for some time, and thus the cry to God as well. Hence God’s actions have resulted in joy, thanksgiving and praise. 

Throughout history civilizations have flourished wherever there has been a source of water, whilst others have faded away or collapsed due to scarcity of water resources. People have fought and died for even small patches of water.

Water is the source and powerhouse of life. Without it the earth would be an arid desert, where life would be impossible because of famine and drought. Even though we know that it can be the cause of death (through floods, drowning and water-borne diseases), water is generally seen and appreciated for the advantages and benefits that it brings to the life of living beings.

The psalmist once declared, “The Earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it” (Psalm 24:1). From generation to generation, we have a lifespan to enjoy and steward God’s Earth. However, in recent decades, industries that unsustainably extract from God’s Earth have been spinning out of control. Their actions challenge God's sovereignty over the gifts that were created for sharing by  all Creation and for all generations. Extractive and other industries have been privatizing the natural gifts of God’s Earth and have excluded local communities from sharing in these gifts.

Since primordial times, people have struggled for basic natural resources, including water which is such a crucial element of life. We find examples of this struggle throughout the Bible. For instance, the biblical story in Exodus 15:22-27 tells how the Israelites searched for clean water to be able to survive after crossing the Red Sea into the wilderness. They arrive at a place called Marah – Hebrew for “bitterness” – where they find water but discover that it is not fit for drinking. 

The Bible begins with the story of creation by God, with the Genesis of the Earth. Before the creation of humankind, God creates the heaven and the earth; he then separates the earth from water which he called “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas” (Genesis 1:9). God then plants a garden and puts humankind in the middle of this garden to live there and to cultivate the land and take care of it and his creation (Genesis 2:15). Land is the place where humankind is invited to live and called upon to be its stewards.