Few weeks ago, during the dry season, most of the leaves in the field dried due to lack of rain water. As soon as the first rain dropped, all the grasses started springing up again with new life. This is just one of the numerous significance of water. Water is indeed the source of life. It is the most essential and indispensable substance on earth. We may live without food but we cannot survive without water.
March 22nd is world water day. It is a day set aside to reflect on the importance of water, some of the challenges facing water supply and possible ways of making water available and affordable. The theme of this year’s World Water Day is Nature for Water. This theme explores how we can use nature to overcome some of the water related challenges which are caused by Environmental damage, climate change and degraded vegetation, soil, rivers and lakes, with constant negligence of the ecosystem. These challenges includes Floods, drought and water pollution.
Needless to say that this is affecting people’s health and their means of livelihoods. In a report released by UN, it is estimated that 2.1 billion people live without safe drinking water. With the UN declaration of Water as one of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Provision of stable and portable water for the timid society remains a major challenge facing the world today.
Some of the natural solutions to water related challenge includes provision of portable water through drilling of boreholes; planting of new forests, promotion of ‘green’ infrastructure where possible. reconnecting rivers to floodplains. Doing every possible to reduce floods, droughts and water pollution by cleaning and opening up of drainages. In addition, people should desist from dumping waste material into drainages.
We drink water to quench our thirst. We use it for cooking, taking our bath, washing of kitchen utensils, and clothes. Water is also used as recreational facility such as swimming pools. Without water there will be no farming because water is keep plants and animal alive. Most factories and industries rely on water for their successful operation.
Last year, while addressing a group of 90 experts from across the world, Pope Francis declared water as a fundamental human right: “all people have a right to safe drinking water.” Unfortunately this right is not guaranteed today. As a result “each day a thousand children die from water-related illnesses and millions of persons consume polluted water.” This, according to him, can even lead to a third world war if care is not taken. this shows the importance of water. It is the principle of life; for where there is water there is life and where there is life there is water.
Among those who need water most are those in refugee camps, prison yards, orphanage homes, Camps for the internally displaced person’s and even hospitals. In fact, there is should be adequate supply of water anywhere people exist. Materials for producing bottle and sachet water such as treatment tanks, sealing machines, bottle and even sachets should be made available and affordable.
Water is very symbolic in the bible. The prophet Isaiah used the image of rain water to describe what happens each time God’s word is released. “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11).
From this passage we can deduce more significance of rain water. The Rain waters the earth. It gives life to every plant on the earth, making them to flourish. With the help of rain water the plants and the crops are able to yield seed for the sower and bread for the eater. Every single rain that falls has a purpose and that purpose must be accomplished.
Water is used for cleansing and for purification. The Lord God made a promise through the prophet Ezekiel, “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols” (Ezekiel 36:25). This clean water is meant for purification and cleansing. God will use this clean water to cleanse you from all your impurities and from idolatry. He will purify your heart and your soul from every unclean spirit.
The prophet Ezekiel describes the water that flows from the sanctuary as a life-giving water. “Wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.” What actually makes this water special is because is flows directly from the sanctuary. Wherever this waters flows to it restores life.
Water is used for baptism. Our Lord Jesus Christ was baptized in the River Jordan. “Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John… As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Imagine, even our Lord Jesus Christ was baptized with water. Water is an important substance in baptism. Without water there will be no baptism and without baptism there will be no cleansing.
Philip used water to baptize the Ethiopian eunuch: “As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?” He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away” The baptism of the eunuch was possible because there was enough water for that purpose.
To show how important and indispensable water is, the very first miracle our Lord Jesus Christ performed in the New Testament was with water. In the gospel of John 2: 7-11 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” This is the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.” The same way our Lord Jesus Christ used water to perform his first miracle so also most of the major investment in the world today were produced with water.
Our Lord Jesus Christ introduced himself to the Samarian Woman as the spring of living water. “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life” (John 4:13-16). Our Lord Jesus Christ is indeed the fountain of life. Whoever drinks of this water will never be thirsty again.
As we celebrate World Water Day, we are using this medium to appeal to our government and non-governmental organizations to make the provision of portable water their priority. By so doing, we are not just providing people with their basic need, we are also contributing in the actualization of the Sustainable development goals.
