Bucket of Cold Water

I am very much an introvert. I like people, but I don’t like being the focus of attention. I like to sit quietly and listen. I also have always been a reader. It is the one thing that “feeds me” the most—that and being quiet with other people not having to lead. So I try hard to carve out time to read. Reading refreshes me and invariably, it stimulates me, reinforces my faith, and creates connections to all kinds of things—life-giving things, “God things,” enduring things—pointers to “having life and having it abundantly” (John 10:10). Jesus says he will give us living water to quench our thirst (John 4:10-14, 7:37-39), and sometimes that looks like a bucket of cold water over my head.

This week I read a different take on the popular quote: “Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty.” It went like this:

“Practice routinely purposeful acts of kindness and intelligent acts of beauty.” The author’s point was that we Christians easily mistake the spontaneous acts motivated by faith with the long, difficult work of discipleship. Ouch. I see the first quote on bumper stickers; the second, not so much… I don’t know of anyone who likes the word “discipline” but it’s the root of the word “disciple.” Discipline is hard. Then I read a reflection on this Sunday’s readings from Sundays & Seasons:

 It is easy to be thrown off course by feelings inside us or to work hardest for the wrong things. But Jesus invites us to practice what may be the most challenging spiritual practice of all. Jesus invites us to love our neighbor. Jesus asks that we look around for someone concrete to invest our time and energy in, someone who cannot necessarily return the favor. Jesus challenges us to also receive others’ ministry to us, since we are also little children in faith.

        This reminded me that faith isn’t about feelings. It’s about trust in spite of feelings, in spite of “results,” or achievement. To be “great” is to be a “servant” according to Jesus. This also isn’t about propping up our self-esteem, patting ourselves on the back for a job well-done helping the helpless. We, too, are in need of help; we too are in need of others’ love for us. We are all connected. Sometimes Jesus’ living water humbles me! The humble know they are thirsty. Thank God for buckets of cold water.

Peace,

Pr. Christian

Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God (1998), p. 10.