We offer living water to parched souls

Because a group from our church will be traveling to South Africa this May, a recent article in The Wall Street Journal caught my eye: “Cape Town May Dry Up Because of an Aversion to Israel” was the title by Seth Siegel. Apparently, in the minds of Cape Town’s leaders, political ideology is more important than the life of its people. A three-year drought has plagued the city, and it is expected that in July it will go completely dry. What’s amazing is that Israel has offered to help and has been rebuffed because the African National Congress, the majority party in South Africa, aligns itself with the Palestinian cause.

Even more amazing is the fact that Israel has for years helped Palestinians with various water projects and continues to provide over half of the domestic water supply for the West Bank. In addition to training over a hundred countries in water technology, Israelis have even offered to train Palestinians in water management. Even before 1948 when Israel declared statehood, water security was a major priority. Perhaps nowhere is water more valued than it is in Israel, which is mostly desert and needs adequate water to survive. Conservation is taught to children, pricing encourages good stewardship, desalination technology has been developed, and highly effective waste water management combine to insure their people have enough water. Even as Israel itself has experienced a five-year drought, there is sufficient water for the nation.

Israel’s offer to help Cape Town was a “no-strings attached proposal.” Yet the political leadership turned to Iran for help, only to discover how inept the Iranians are in water security. In fact, one of the reasons for recent protests in Tehran was anger over water shortages. Iran presently has a water crisis of its own. Millions of people in Iran are being considered for relocation due to a water shortage. Given this scenario, it is even more incredible that South African officials refused help from Israel.

While there may be numerous lessons to be learned from Cape Town, the spiritual application is too obvious to miss: sinful mankind continues to refuse the water of life. It’s not a political issue or even a cultural one. Rather, it is man’s own sinful pride that refuses the salvation than only God can provide. Instead, the world has, as Jeremiah said, “forsaken the fountain of living water, and carved out cisterns for themselves, that are broken and cannot hold water.” (Jeremiah 2:13) What’s happening physically in Cape Town is happening spiritually all over the world.

Israel offered help to a political opponent. Ought not we as believers offer the water of life to those who disagree with us?

As disconcerting as the situation in Cape Town is, the state of this world should be of greater concern to us as Christians. People all around us are dying with a spiritual thirst that nothing in this world can quench. The longing of the human heart can only be truly satisfied by Jesus Christ. So, think about this: Israel offered help to a political opponent. Ought not we as believers offer the water of life to those who disagree with us? Shouldn’t we reach out to those around us who are looking in all the wrong places for that which will quench the burning in their soul?

The Bible closes with this invitation: “The Spirit and the Bride say come. And let him who hears say, come. And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17) For now, that invitation needs to be offered by you and me.