The River of Water of Life: Easter 6C
Jason Rajan
It is without a doubt that water is taken for granted. Yet, in the readings below we can see it holds a core message and presence. Just look at the Anglican Dominical Scarcements of Baptism and Eucharist. The quote “Water is the soul of the earth” is usually credited to British Poet W.H. Auden and it clearly indicates the value of water. I would expand on it with the idea of water being the soul of our faith. Water is in our bodies and in every part of our lives. Throughout this week’s readings there are common themes that appear. Among them are river, water, gate, light, and life are prominent. These themes reveal a movement of water and the significance of connection, complexity, beauty and belonging. So how does it connect to our readings for this Sunday? John Thorson, judge, scholar and cofounder of Dividing Waters wrote: “Water links us to our neighbour in a way more profound and complex than any other.” Our neighbour of course is every living entity around us, the earth and we are called to be faithful. What can that faithfulness look like in our day to day lives? Let’s break down that down in the following passages.
Commentary
In Acts we first look the mention of the river and the gate. Then we move on to the role of women. Lydia and the purple cloth. In Revelation the lamb, the river, the leaves for healing of the nations are all very evocative
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“We remained in this city for some days. On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer;”
Here we have gate and the river, which are both threshold points. For myself the term gate immediately gets me thinking of Jesus, our good shepherd being our gate. See John 10:17. Owene Courtney on Forward Day by Day Mediations for the month of April 2025 wrote: “When Jesus says he is the gate for the sheep, he tells us that he is prepared to lay down is life for his sheep. I am the gate is not a statement of who qualifies to get in, but the level of protection that Jesus as our shepherd offers.”
For me the gate is not necessarily used to isolate but protect. A gate where the sheep can go and come as they please. The river also flows as it pleases. Here we see movement.
“…we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there.”
A place of prayer. A meeting place. And women? Could this be a church? A movement, a gathering.
We know throughout the history of this church and society, patriarchy rules supreme. Too often we neglect the women in our own Bible. So, what is it about Lydia that has her mentioned in this passage?
VS. 14 “A certain woman named Lydia, a worshipper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth.”
Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler note in The Jewish Annotated New Testament notes these two facts.
Lydia was most likely a Gentile
Thyatira is a city in western Asian minor known for its production and trade of dyed cloth.
Who was Lydia? Was she more than just a Gentile? I turn to Eugene Peterson’s The Message. Here Lydia is given the title “God fearing woman” and a “dealer of expensive textiles.” According to the notes on my copy of The SBL Study Bible, purple cloth was a luxury.
A beautiful narrative of Lydia is found in a children’s Bible I own, The Book of Belonging the following lines stood out to me,
It begins with: “Lydia’s fingernails were always purple. Shades of lilac, lavender, aubergine, and plum. Though she scrubbed and scrubbed, the color never quite came off” Pg 268
Now look at the last sentence of that verse: “The Lord opened her heart to listen”
Peterson paraphrased this verse “As she listened with intensity to what was being said, the Master gave her a trusting heart -and she believed!”
On the last page of this story in the Book of Belonging, I end with this part with this line: “Like the dye that stained her fingers purple, the good news of Jesus was seeping, permanent.”
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“Its gates will never be shut by day - and there will be no night there. People will bring into it the glory and the honour of the nations. But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practises abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.”
Here the gate is never shut. There is no darkness no night and nothing that is dark can get in. Is this being selective in keeping others out? Or is it protection for those God has chosen? I see connection. I see protection and renewed life and hope.
“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations”
The river flows from God’s throne down to the middle of the street. And the tree of life? It is on either side of the street. It is out in the open unlike in Genesis 3:23-24: “and stationed angel-cherubim and a revolving sword of fire east of it, guarding the path to the Tree-of-Life.” (The Message). And the purpose of the leaves are to heal the nations. How are they healed? We go back to Revelation. Eugene Peterson’s reflection is entitled: “Formed, Illumined, and Sustained by Him.” As Peterson states it is the renewal of the sinful Genesis. It is a renewal. It is “a reflection of the new creation in us”
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The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me." Jesus said to him, "Stand up, take your mat and walk." At once the man was made well,
Here we the pool, a place of healing. Yet, it is only when the water is “stirred up.” I see a connection to Lydia’s heart. Yet this sick man is passed by and ignored until Jesus sees him and then heals him. Jesus is the never-ending river of healing water that restores us, nourishes us and makes us whole.
Teaching and Preaching Ideas
I would suggest focusing on these core ideas: River, water, and gate.
River
Have a look at the picture of Lynn Valley Canyon. It isn’t a river but a creek. Yet imagine yourself there (or better yet go if you can) on the Suspension bridge looking down (not if you are afraid of heights) and hearing the power of water. When I stood there, I could feel the rush of water flow through me as though I was stirred. I could feel what Lydia felt when her heart was opened.
Water
Think of other passages in scripture that mention water. What stories come to mind? And ask. Yourself why water? We know the Eucharist has the cup of Jesus’ blood, but it also mixes with water, representing humanity. Christ became fully human. So, is water the core of humanity? If so untouched like the Fraser River over fifty years ago would be crystal clear, pure and rich. Yet, now? Now it is mirky, tainted and ruined with pollution and disregarded by humans. What does that say about our faith and our relationship with God?
Moving away from Scripture. If possible, watch the documentary Water on the Table. It reveals the reality of mass consumerism and the abuse of water. In commercialising and making water a profit maker for the rich deprives the poor and our own daily needs. In exploiting water we are only harming ourselves and the planet.
For those able to watch the film how do you react with the situation of water being a commodity? If water is healing as Maude says, why is it that we as humans refuse its healing power?
The Gate
What do you think about gates? Take some time to look up different gates. What is the difference between gates used on farmland to the ones use in cities and residential areas. What images or emotions conjure up as you reflect on each different image. What does Jesus as the Good Shepherd and being our gate mean to you or your reading of it mentioned in the texts?
I found Euguene Peterson’s The Message: Devotional Bible a great help. In this particular version of the Message Peterson includes notes and words of reflection. Or even other translations. What does each translation say about the gate and its purpose whether in the city of God and/or in our faith?
Sources and Resources
Forward Day by Day Podcast April 9, 2025 (Forward Movement of the Episcopal Church) Owene Weber Courtney, Director of Formation and Spirituality at St John’s Episcopal Church in Florida
Jewish Annotated New Testament Second Edition New Revised Standard Bible Translation Oxford Press. Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler Pg 257
The Book of Belonging by Mariko Clark and Rachel Eleanor. Convergent Books 2024 New York. Pages 267-272.
Film Water on the Table
See Maude Barlow at: https://canadians.org/story/
Fighting Water Privatization with ‘Blue Communities’
Contributor bio
A child of a retired Baptist minister and now a devoted Anglican, who identifies as transgender. In the near future Jason will be pursuing a Master of Divinity at the Vancouver School of Theology.
Image Description
A photo taken by Jason of Lynn Valley Canyon in North Vancouver, B.C. It captures the awe-inspiring beauty and power of nature. As we look through this image, we see our Divine Creator our living water who sustains us and all things. The photo depicts a flow of water running over rocks. Ferns and other greenery can be seen along the side of the water flow.