Take your staff and assemble the community,
you and your brother Aaron, and in their presence order the rock to yield its waters. From the rock you shall bring forth water for the congregation and their livestock to drink."
There are many stories of devout people, planning a religious event or designing a religious structure, forgetting to include the facilities that human bodies need. They have such a lovely chapel, and the location will offer such delightful vistas but they fail to include rest breaks during the pilgrimage or toilets for the sister novices. Moses and Aaron, rushing their people out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and into the Sinai desert, apparently neglected to plan for the enormous thirst of a hot, dry climate.
We sometimes forget how human we are, and how dependent we are upon the most obvious and basic necessities. Human beings are mostly water, like slugs but with skeletons.
On a global scale, as nations prepare for war and businesses anticipate dog-eat-dog competition, they forget that life on this planet must suffer the consequences of hasty, short-sighted planning. There are still many sunken warships in the world's oceans, leaking oil and gas. Millions of unexploded mines wait for farmers to plow them or children to play with them.
Very often, we paint ourselves into a corner and wonder why do we do this.
In today's first reading, the Lord provides for his thirsty people in the desert. God hears the cry of his people.
If we should not presume God will rescue us from ourselves, we can listen to the Spirit when we find ourselves in familiar predicaments that were entirely predictable.
In the end those who listen to the Lord's direction will pick up the pieces for the rest of us, and guide us into the future.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.