Aquatic Theology
Aquatic Theology
The term aquatic theology is refer to how water is related to theology. I didn’t borrow this term from anyone but the idea was inspired by Sis.Lizette Tapia Raquel and Professor George Buenaventura’s Geo Theology. Sis. Lizette suggested me soon after we revived the water pump at the farm that it will be interesting if I write a theological reflection on water. I must admit that I am not a careful writer and I hardly write anything except my term papers and exams. We will realize this fact while you read this reflection.
The background of aquatic theology
As part of the summer exposure program, we were to revive one water pump which was left unused for many several years. After several attempts, our hard labor finally paid off! Every one present there were excited to see the water gushing out from the old ‘seems-dead-already’ water pump.
Why we were so excited about the water pump! Actually we are not only excited about the success of the project itself, we were excited about the WATER. The equation is simple and plain why we felt so excited about the water. Water gives life to the plants, fish and vegetables and in turn they cater to the needs of mankind.
Biblically, water was there before we were there. By and large it is assumed by the biologists and other scientist that life began on the water. Of course it does not all of sudden pop up from water. God used water as a dais for all living creature to start exist.
This is introductory journey to the aquatic theology.
Water and women
Life does not begin in the women’s womb without the help of other entity. The sperms of male and female when meet each other then develop the fetus inside the womb. Though this explanation doesn’t have must of scientific terms and formula but a simple reminder to us of what we know already. It is not my attempt to give the detail of how child is conceives but I am trying to relate the truth about how water also acts the same way as that of our mother’s womb. She nourishes the life inside till it gives birth at the fullness of time. There is other entity, helping the water to give life. God in His infinite wisdom impregnated the water to give birth to all living creatures as He did to maiden Mary.
It is water who gave birth to many living creatures and the land feeds us. Everything comes from the water and it will go back to the water eventually. Water is our mother and land is our father and this is God’s own plan to sustain every living and non living things existed.
Water is the agent of God
Surely God can raise anything anywhere. But if anything comes out of anywhere, it will violate the natural law and there will be a chaos everywhere. So in the beginning, God made the living creature to bring forth and multiply ‘after his kind.’ We can’t imagine a cow give birth to a monkey! Unthinkable! I didn’t hear a modern science is trying to cross breed deer and tiger. So when God created a life, water plays a very crucial role as a woman carrying a baby in hr womb. Water is the body out of which all living creatures fine life in it. Water is necessary for the continuation of our existence. Remember! The four rivers watered the Eden garden. Without question we can assumed that God uses water to make fruitful, to multiply.
Water is the type of Jesus sacrificial blood
Water in various forms is use for cleaning dirt and stain, except for the vacuum cleaner and other dry cleaner machines. Every form of cleaning the dirt or stain requires water. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from every dirt and stain of sin of our lives. No matter how imperfect the comparison might be yet water is strong picture of Jesus Christ sacrificial blood, a fine example every mankind can understand. Water symbolizes peace, fertility, healing and might!
Water and the community
Water enables the plants, fish and vegetables to have normal and healthy lives. Above all community needs water directly and indirectly. The community is beautifying by the surplus and efficiency of the water. There is peace and tranquility when our environment is healthy. The life of community is so much related to water.
Without water, every living being is withered away. Some living being feel the brunt immediately and some gradually. Eventually all will perish in wants of water.
Water and worship
Though water is very crucial and we will die without it yet it is not divine therefore, not God nor to be worship as divine being. We didn’t worship the womb of our mother or women for that matter though we revere. If it is the habit to worship anything that benefits the mankind, one may go ahead and worship but the divine worship belongs to God and Him alone. I am making a distinction between two worships here; divine worship, which is worship in totality, a complete devotion, a supreme. This worship is a veneration of our spirit, soul and body to the One, the Creator. It is like Jonathan Edwards’ ‘my utmost for His highest’.
Another worship is out of respect and love for being Almighty’s instrument in sustaining us. Respect, adoration, devotion are lower form of worship. When the degree of respect, love, adoration, devotion intensifies, it becomes worship even like the divine worship.
Now water is to be use with respect for it is the salvation God provided to sustain in this world. Misusing water is like cutting short of lifespan here on earth. When we use it right, we are making better world for tomorrow and above all we are acknowledging God’s salvation for this physical world.
Water and healing
Some years back, I came across a magazine telling about the drought in northern African region. The land cracked open and most of the living creatures including human were also dried up literally to skeleton. The land was wounded severely and nothing could heal it except water. On the other side of the globe was Amazon forest in South America. The region is a home for many thousands living creatures. The land has enough water to nourish all the living creatures and it prospers. Water heals the land and nourishes it as mother will nourish her child. When our land is wounded, nothing can heal it except water. Water is the only remedy for the land to bear fruit.
The resurrected water pump will healed the wounded farm of our community. It will water the ground and heal the land.
Water and Salvation
The dictionary meaning of salvation is the saving or being saved from danger, evil, difficulty, destruction, etc. However, there are many religious meaning besides this dictionary meaning. For many Christians, it is being saved from eternal damnation, while for the Hindu attaining ‘moksa’ and so on and so forth. Every religion has their own concept of salvation and somehow it relate to with the dictionary meaning.
Now, imagine life without water! Let me give you one month and try to live without water. I am sure scientist or any expert doctor will tell you how long we can survive without water. We will all die of thirsty and dehydration. Our brothers and sisters in Sahara desert, Gobi desert, Thaar desert and those water scanty places might live little longer than us! Water is a salvation, a physical salvation one. If we don’t care for our physical body, why should we care for our spiritual body for our physical body only makes our spiritual life possible. There won’t be spiritual body if there is no physical body. So water is a salvation prepared by God for all living being regardless of their belief.
The deep-well lesson of life journey
Reviving the deep-well was like seeking God. We fumble and tumble all the way through but the point is we never give up knowing how much it worth when we get it. Sometime we are disappointed and frustrated when little mistake took us one whole day to restart the whole process again. Another lesson I have learn is that, we start from the very beginning again if we committed mistake. So it was something like we start again afresh from the beginning without blemish. It requires large amount of patience to reach the water below. We have found the water and it will cater to many needs of the farm. The farm will in return serve us our needs in many ways. The land will become more fertile and yield more fruits. When we found God, He will prosper our land and the land will bring forth much fruit. Water is a type of God, use with reverent for it will sustain you.
The resurrection of deep-well brought hope for the better fish pond for the community, it brought joy to those who are working on it like the angel rejoice in heavenly when Jesus resurrected from the dead. And it brought happiness and contentment to the thousands of tilapias and hundreds of pineapple trees and not to forget hundreds of UTS community.
Conclusion
Every natural resources will use up sooner than we imagined. The most perilous is the unlimited human desire for more. Men will manipulate anything to gain more, to satisfy the human desire is like counting the star in the night, a clear sky night! Water is not just natural resource, it is life and it has to be treated with care and reverend for it is the salvation of God for all mankind. Jesus won’t have to come if there are only skeletons around. Remember Jesus conversation with the Samaritan woman by the well and He compared water which is physical salvation and His water for the spiritual body.
There is sacredness in the water and we have to realize that it is one of the greatest gifts of God for all living being. If we can’t honor the gifts which we can see by our eyes, how can we appreciate the One which we can’t see by our naked eyes anymore?
The term aquatic theology is refer to how water is related to theology. I didn’t borrow this term from anyone but the idea was inspired by Sis.Lizette Tapia Raquel and Professor George Buenaventura’s Geo Theology. Sis. Lizette suggested me soon after we revived the water pump at the farm that it will be interesting if I write a theological reflection on water. I must admit that I am not a careful writer and I hardly write anything except my term papers and exams. We will realize this fact while you read this reflection.
The background of aquatic theology
As part of the summer exposure program, we were to revive one water pump which was left unused for many several years. After several attempts, our hard labor finally paid off! Every one present there were excited to see the water gushing out from the old ‘seems-dead-already’ water pump.
Why we were so excited about the water pump! Actually we are not only excited about the success of the project itself, we were excited about the WATER. The equation is simple and plain why we felt so excited about the water. Water gives life to the plants, fish and vegetables and in turn they cater to the needs of mankind.
Biblically, water was there before we were there. By and large it is assumed by the biologists and other scientist that life began on the water. Of course it does not all of sudden pop up from water. God used water as a dais for all living creature to start exist.
This is introductory journey to the aquatic theology.
Water and women
Life does not begin in the women’s womb without the help of other entity. The sperms of male and female when meet each other then develop the fetus inside the womb. Though this explanation doesn’t have must of scientific terms and formula but a simple reminder to us of what we know already. It is not my attempt to give the detail of how child is conceives but I am trying to relate the truth about how water also acts the same way as that of our mother’s womb. She nourishes the life inside till it gives birth at the fullness of time. There is other entity, helping the water to give life. God in His infinite wisdom impregnated the water to give birth to all living creatures as He did to maiden Mary.
It is water who gave birth to many living creatures and the land feeds us. Everything comes from the water and it will go back to the water eventually. Water is our mother and land is our father and this is God’s own plan to sustain every living and non living things existed.
Water is the agent of God
Surely God can raise anything anywhere. But if anything comes out of anywhere, it will violate the natural law and there will be a chaos everywhere. So in the beginning, God made the living creature to bring forth and multiply ‘after his kind.’ We can’t imagine a cow give birth to a monkey! Unthinkable! I didn’t hear a modern science is trying to cross breed deer and tiger. So when God created a life, water plays a very crucial role as a woman carrying a baby in hr womb. Water is the body out of which all living creatures fine life in it. Water is necessary for the continuation of our existence. Remember! The four rivers watered the Eden garden. Without question we can assumed that God uses water to make fruitful, to multiply.
Water is the type of Jesus sacrificial blood
Water in various forms is use for cleaning dirt and stain, except for the vacuum cleaner and other dry cleaner machines. Every form of cleaning the dirt or stain requires water. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from every dirt and stain of sin of our lives. No matter how imperfect the comparison might be yet water is strong picture of Jesus Christ sacrificial blood, a fine example every mankind can understand. Water symbolizes peace, fertility, healing and might!
Water and the community
Water enables the plants, fish and vegetables to have normal and healthy lives. Above all community needs water directly and indirectly. The community is beautifying by the surplus and efficiency of the water. There is peace and tranquility when our environment is healthy. The life of community is so much related to water.
Without water, every living being is withered away. Some living being feel the brunt immediately and some gradually. Eventually all will perish in wants of water.
Water and worship
Though water is very crucial and we will die without it yet it is not divine therefore, not God nor to be worship as divine being. We didn’t worship the womb of our mother or women for that matter though we revere. If it is the habit to worship anything that benefits the mankind, one may go ahead and worship but the divine worship belongs to God and Him alone. I am making a distinction between two worships here; divine worship, which is worship in totality, a complete devotion, a supreme. This worship is a veneration of our spirit, soul and body to the One, the Creator. It is like Jonathan Edwards’ ‘my utmost for His highest’.
Another worship is out of respect and love for being Almighty’s instrument in sustaining us. Respect, adoration, devotion are lower form of worship. When the degree of respect, love, adoration, devotion intensifies, it becomes worship even like the divine worship.
Now water is to be use with respect for it is the salvation God provided to sustain in this world. Misusing water is like cutting short of lifespan here on earth. When we use it right, we are making better world for tomorrow and above all we are acknowledging God’s salvation for this physical world.
Water and healing
Some years back, I came across a magazine telling about the drought in northern African region. The land cracked open and most of the living creatures including human were also dried up literally to skeleton. The land was wounded severely and nothing could heal it except water. On the other side of the globe was Amazon forest in South America. The region is a home for many thousands living creatures. The land has enough water to nourish all the living creatures and it prospers. Water heals the land and nourishes it as mother will nourish her child. When our land is wounded, nothing can heal it except water. Water is the only remedy for the land to bear fruit.
The resurrected water pump will healed the wounded farm of our community. It will water the ground and heal the land.
Water and Salvation
The dictionary meaning of salvation is the saving or being saved from danger, evil, difficulty, destruction, etc. However, there are many religious meaning besides this dictionary meaning. For many Christians, it is being saved from eternal damnation, while for the Hindu attaining ‘moksa’ and so on and so forth. Every religion has their own concept of salvation and somehow it relate to with the dictionary meaning.
Now, imagine life without water! Let me give you one month and try to live without water. I am sure scientist or any expert doctor will tell you how long we can survive without water. We will all die of thirsty and dehydration. Our brothers and sisters in Sahara desert, Gobi desert, Thaar desert and those water scanty places might live little longer than us! Water is a salvation, a physical salvation one. If we don’t care for our physical body, why should we care for our spiritual body for our physical body only makes our spiritual life possible. There won’t be spiritual body if there is no physical body. So water is a salvation prepared by God for all living being regardless of their belief.
The deep-well lesson of life journey
Reviving the deep-well was like seeking God. We fumble and tumble all the way through but the point is we never give up knowing how much it worth when we get it. Sometime we are disappointed and frustrated when little mistake took us one whole day to restart the whole process again. Another lesson I have learn is that, we start from the very beginning again if we committed mistake. So it was something like we start again afresh from the beginning without blemish. It requires large amount of patience to reach the water below. We have found the water and it will cater to many needs of the farm. The farm will in return serve us our needs in many ways. The land will become more fertile and yield more fruits. When we found God, He will prosper our land and the land will bring forth much fruit. Water is a type of God, use with reverent for it will sustain you.
The resurrection of deep-well brought hope for the better fish pond for the community, it brought joy to those who are working on it like the angel rejoice in heavenly when Jesus resurrected from the dead. And it brought happiness and contentment to the thousands of tilapias and hundreds of pineapple trees and not to forget hundreds of UTS community.
Conclusion
Every natural resources will use up sooner than we imagined. The most perilous is the unlimited human desire for more. Men will manipulate anything to gain more, to satisfy the human desire is like counting the star in the night, a clear sky night! Water is not just natural resource, it is life and it has to be treated with care and reverend for it is the salvation of God for all mankind. Jesus won’t have to come if there are only skeletons around. Remember Jesus conversation with the Samaritan woman by the well and He compared water which is physical salvation and His water for the spiritual body.
There is sacredness in the water and we have to realize that it is one of the greatest gifts of God for all living being. If we can’t honor the gifts which we can see by our eyes, how can we appreciate the One which we can’t see by our naked eyes anymore?
Congratulations on your 'theology of water.' I especially like the paragraph on water and women. If I may make another suggestion, seek to answer - what is the situation of water in your home/community in India? You are a very good writer and your reflections are very inspiring. I look forward to more articles from you.
ReplyDelete