“Will you get me a Gatorade?”
“What color?”
This conversation plays out in my house almost every day. We keep a case of the sports drink in our garage, and rotate bottles into and out of an extra fridge also out there. Whether it’s a habit after tennis practice, a hedge against dehydration, a home remedy for a fever, or just a drink preference in the moment, it’s the cure to what ails us: thirst.
The one on the throne said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.” – Revelation 21:6 (NRSV)
Thirst is with us at the beginning of life, and when we stop responding to its demands, we are almost always at the end. No wonder Christ offers water to us; it’s the most relatable metaphor, because in this life, we will never not need it.
Quenching our physical thirst is necessary and life-sustaining. Quenching our spiritual thirst is, too. The water Christ gives brings us meaning and purpose. When we’re well-hydrated spiritually, we’re like marathoners with a well-executed strategy, able to keep our feet under us to the finish line.
What’s your spiritual Gatorade? How do you keep yourself hydrated for the race God calls you to run? When your throat is dry, your head spinning, where do you stop along the way for refreshment?
Jesus is ready to give us that water, today and every day. When our thirst is satisfied, we will have the endurance to work for justice, for peace, and for freedom for all of God’s creation.
Prayer
Thank you, God, for the water you give so freely to all. Amen.
About the Author
Martha Spong is a UCC pastor, a clergy coach, and editor of The Words of Her Mouth: Psalms for the Struggle, from The Pilgrim Press.