Let me tell you a story about my friend River.

River was very popular. He was beautiful to behold. People came from far and wide to fish in his waters, ride kayaks down his rapids, and have picnics by his grassy shores. ‘Wow, I’m really wonderful,’ said River. And he was. But River didn’t realize that what made him so wonderful were the pristine headwaters that came together way upstream to make him what he was.

Then one day, engineers decided to build a dam at River’s headwaters so that power could be generated for the nearby towns. Very soon, River’s churning waters turned into a slow trickle. Parts of River broke off and turned into little ponds that grew stagnant and smelly.  No one came to visit River anymore. And even though River tried as hard as he could, he could not make his waters churn. River was utterly distressed. He was disconnected from the headwaters and remained stagnant and smelly.

You and I are like River: it is our connection to our source that makes us so wonderful. We know, the beauty, intelligence, prosperity, and health we enjoy doesn’t ultimately come from us, but from elsewhere. But like River, when we lose sight of this we too become distressed. 

Our challenge then, is to pay close attention to that connection lest we become like those we will encounter in this Sunday’s Gospel (John 9:1-41). So we ask ourselves: How are we tending to that connection? In what ways do we lose sight of our utter dependence on our Source? If the best thing about us is God, how are we living into that in ways that we, and others, might actually notice?

Reading

Alexander Hamilton - Ron Chernow
Sentness - Hammond and Cronshaw
The Living Reminder - Henri Nouwen