The Power of Water
Water moment #1 - I think we were both up on ladders working on some things on our basement project when Denny (a member of the first congregation I served) said, “water always wins.” We were sealing something and were talking about the power of water and he shared about how water always wins eventually - it may be the overwhelming power of water (flood) or it is more often the slow working of water - but water always wins. This led into talking about how God’s work in our lives is kind of like that. Sure, God can overwhelm with brute force but more often it is a slow tugging and a slow working in us.
Water moment #2 - I was asked to share at the installation service (basically the PCUSA blessing service) for a pastor beginning to serve a new congregation. At the time, one of my daughters was big into rock tumbling. In my message to this new pastor, I held up some rough rocks and shared about how these rocks represented the new pastor and the congregation and that there were multiple ways that they could interact and be together changed. One way was just the brute force - the rocks just banging against each other and pieces breaking off and edges staying. Or they could get in the water (baptism imagery) of the faith and let the water slowly do its work on them both, smoothing out the rough edges until they were rounded off and gently changed not just by one another but by the power of the Spirit. (The rock tumbler, fyi needs water mixed in to smooth the rocks out).
Water came to my heart this morning as I read several pieces online - From CAC, From Jake Owensby, and from MaryAnn McKibben Dana. All of them spoke of a different kind of power and a different kind of relating. In the CAC’s daily reflection, Jacqui Lewis and Brian McLaren share of how we can relate to one another in new ways (felt a lot like my rock tumbler analogy). Jake shared of the example of love in the Jesus stories and writes this:
To follow Jesus is to take the side of the crushed. To oppose hate and violence with love’s power. It means feeding the hungry, healing the sick, speaking for the powerless, and setting the prisoner free.
When we walk this path, even when it leads through suffering, we discover who we truly are: the beloved of Christ. Our lives become intertwined with others in genuine care. God’s purpose—to make all things new—becomes our own.1
The world overpowers and crushes some but following Jesus means for us to come alongside and gently and caringly love and restore.
And MaryAnn shared of the different equations that measure power. One is the “brute force and ignorance” equation...power = force x velocity. This is the “banging the rocks together” that I spoke of. But she shares of the other kind of power - the power exemplified by Jesus in the Gospels. Power isn’t force and speed but instead it is power = work divided by time. This is the slow work - the water working slowly over the rough rocks, the power of love sotening hard edges. “Work over time is Jesus’ way of wielding power.”2
All of this was stirring around (pun somewhat intended) as Scout and I went out on a grey, cool morning before the rain showed up. We walked along creek that I have photographed many times before but I was seeing the water running over the small waterfalls through these lenses today. The water is running over these rocks and slowly doing the work of smoothing them down. There are still hard edges but over time, the edges are just a bit less sharp and over a long period of time they will be smoothed out so much more.
As well, there’s a technique in photography where you give the photograph a longer exposure and what was sharp and defined and rough suddenly smooths out.
In my book, Ordinary Benchmarks, I photographed this exact same waterfall and shared similar thoughts - it wasn’t connected to power per se but instead about slowing down and allowing a sense of flow.
When we don’t slow down, find places of stillness, and examine what has come, what is, and what is ahead, we will simply be tossed to and fro and miss the flow of our lives. We will get the singular moments like the waterfall frozen in time, but we will miss the movement and the flow.3
There is a different power in slowing down and allowing something (love, grace, hope, mercy) to flow in, through, and over. It may take longer but it is far more transformative. To once again quote/paraphrase Denny…The slow work of water always wins…
A few other bits and bobs…
Pop Culture Pastors Hour
MaryAnn and I just wrapped up another Pop Culture Pastors’ Hour as we chatted about Netflix’s K-Pop Demon Hunters and the messages of shame and restoration (I think there’s something in there about the latter form of power as well). Here’s the video:
We are also doing another one this coming Wednesday at 10am - A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving!
A Moving, Powerful, and Painful Podcast
This past Thursday was Transgender Day of Remembrance and following that, the New York Times podcast, The Daily, shared an episode today titled “Parenting a Trans Kid in Trump’s America.” Regardless of your feelings, this episode is worth a listen as it is the story of a clergy couple from Tennessee and their daughter’s transition in the midst of what has been taking place over the last several years - their experience, some of their daughter’s experience, and the painful and fearful realities they have faced.
Parenting a Trans Kid in Trump’s America
Calendars
On a far less important topic, my calendars are still available. You’ll want to order before around December 14 if you want them for sure in time for Christmas.
Grace, Peace, Love, Hope, and Joy,
Ed
PS - Scout moment! She was feeling a bit shy…Or simply like “stop photographing me!”
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Do I need to footnote myself?