If you are like me you have waded into water, whether a stream, river, lake or ocean, letting it inch up your body as you adjust to the temperature. You start by getting your feet wet, then get up to your knees, as it inches closer to your bottom you start to take short little breathes in order to possibly stave off the inevitable coolness. Then you are waist high, chest high, and finally it is either swim or stand on tippy toes. At some point you fully emerge in the water or turn around and go back to shore. All this to say that maybe you can relate to this scripture from Ezekiel 47:1-12 about wading into the water as it gets deeper and deeper, until the water was deep enough to swim in.

A little background for this scripture. This story is not an actual event but rather a vision. This vision was given to the prophet Ezekiel. The whole book of Ezekiel is about numerous visions that Ezekiel received as God used him as a spokesperson in a time of great devastation for the nation of Isreal. You see, Israel had been overthrown, the temple destroyed, and the people brought to a place of exile, known as the Babylonian Exile. And for about 22 years Ezekiel was giving warnings and judgements against the people that God had told him to speak or act out. He doesn’t seem to have any good news until the news that Jerusalem has fallen. Then the tone changes.

From that point forward God gives Ezekiel a message of hope. A message of restoration and transformation. It signals a change in the relationship between God and God’s people. A vision of a new temple is the given to Ezekiel. This is also the Old Testament book in which we hear of the valley of dry bones that are given life as God’s breath is breathed into the bones (chapter 37). There are words about God’s Spirit put within people, as in chapter 36:26-26 we read, “A new heart I will give you, and a new sprit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you…” There are words given to Ezekiel by God that speak of Isreal being restored to the land (39:21-29), and then there is this vision of a New Temple the story of which begins at chapter 40. It is important to understand that the Temple in Jerusalem was central to the faith of the Israelites. It was where they believed God resided. Of course, Ezekiel understood differently when he received the visions. God could obviously act outside of the temple and of the nation.

Now at no time was this temple ever built, even though, if you were to read chapter 40-46, you would find all the measurements for it and the details for the temple and the people. As the story closes, we hear God speaking through Ezekiel giving the people a gift of hope and some work to do.

I would like you to hear my paraphrase of the passage again. As you hear the words, imagine the vision of the temple and the water. At the entrance of the temple; there water was flowing from below the entryway of the temple toward the east and the water was flowing down from below the south side of the temple, south of the altar.  Around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east the water was trickling out on the south side.

Going on eastward the man in Ezekiel’s vision measured the water and it was ankle-deep. Going further it was knee-deep. Further on yet, it was up to the waist. And finally, at the last stop, it was a river that could not be crossed, for the water had risen; it was deep enough to swim in. Back along the bank of the river, there were a great many trees on the one side and on the other. The water flows toward the eastern region and when it enters the sea of stagnant waters, what we know as the Dead Sea, a sea of salt where nothing can live, the water is transformed and becomes fresh. Wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live. There will be very many fish once these waters reach there. This Dead Sea, this salt water becomes fresh, and everything…everything…will live where the river goes. The swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt for some salt is still needed, but on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. They will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.[1]

This is God’s vision for the world. One in which water moves and brings life. It is not some vision for a far-off future only, but one that can be lived today. One that we are called to live into today. This is not only about metaphorical water, this is about actual water, it is about the Holy Spirit’s life-giving water and about people and nature brought together for the healing of our world with God the agent that brings about this transformation.

Looking at this passage one sees just how much movement is going on with the water, flowing water, trickling water, being led through the water, water rising, a river flowing, bringing life, growth, and even complete transformation to all that it touches.

This is living water.

Today is celebrated by many churches as Creation Sunday. It is a part of a longer Season of Creation recognized in the church worldwide. It is an opportunity to think about how all of creation is God’s creation. Genesis… “In the beginning” …we hear the story of all that was created. Now whether you think of this literally or as a creation story, it is about God’s connectedness with all that was and is, human, flora and fauna, the sun, moon, sky, sea, and land and all that inhabits it. Today in particular, and the world-wide theme for this year’s season of creation, is Living Water and the particular image of being immersed in water.

Water is life giving. Water is cleansing. It is why it is the symbol of baptism. Water is at the center of many biblical stories, from creation in Genesis, to Jesus changing water into wine, to the woman at the well in the New Testament. A woman who had come to the well to get water and finding Jesus there is taught about living water and Jesus as the source of that living water. And let us not forget that the Gospel of John starts out by telling us that Jesus was there when the world was created.

This theme of life-giving water flows throughout scripture. If water is that important to life, both physically and spiritually, maybe we need to pay attention to water in our world. Water is critical to our survival on so many levels.

The United Nations just published a paper in January of this year with the title, “World Enters “Era of Global Water Bankruptcy”: UN Scientists Formally Define New Post-Crisis Reality for Billions.[2] It declares that there are places in the world where the water has been used up and there is no way to bring it back. It is part of the reason there are refugees as drought hits particular areas of the world. And, as always, it is the most vulnerable who are most directly impacted by this change. If you have a chance to go online and read the report it is enlightening. And it is not that long of a report so it is certainly a doable read. Basically, the report calls for a fundamental reset of the global water agenda as irreversible damage pushes many basins beyond recovery.[3]

So one might ask, what is it that you or I can do to make a difference. Well, begin by taking small steps that might make a difference to those most at risk. This congregation has been doing this already. For years we have supported LifeWater Canada which has a mission of “Help and hope through safe and accessible water, sanitation, and hygiene.”[4] This organization has an international impact, but was started right here in Thunder Bay. It bears the name LifeWater for a reason. For many years this nonprofit group has been drilling water wells and teaching people to maintain the wells in places like Nigeria and Haiti, a couple of the most vulnerable and dangerous places to do that kind of work.

And for the second year “I was thirsty”[5] a grass roots program of delivering water to the most vulnerable in encampments in our city had twenty-seven volunteers out delivering bottles of water by the case load over 95 days this summer. For our own part, there are bottles of water available to those who come to our church door at anytime of the year who need safe, fresh, water.

Each of these ways of getting safe water out to those do not have access to water, which by the way is a human right, and should never be accepted as a privilege, each of these efforts lets people know that they are seen, that their lives matter, and that someone cares. You might even choose to carry bottles of water in your vehicle to hand out, starting a trickle of water, and when more and more people join in the effort, we may even start to see the water flow with more energy.

We can also advocate for governments to make sure that people have access to water and push for housing and supports. We can advocate for governments to pay attention to climate change and water deficits. The weather of this past summer continues to demonstrate how precarious nature is with fire, torrential downpours and flooding. Find something that works for you, support it, and commit to helping for that change whether it be providing directly of oneself or giving money toward projects that aid the most vulnerable locally and globally. Get educated about climate change and climate action, housing initiatives, and in an election year in Ontario, make sure you do your homework and know where people stand on taking care of our cities, our municipalities, the people, and the environment.

There is so much that an be said about the interconnectedness of water, creation, with one another, and with God. Be encouraged. Pay attention to those around you in need of life-giving hope. Let God’s love flow through you as you wade into living waters so that what is done for and in God’s creation will have a ripple effect, will bear fruit, and bring healing to this world.

I speak to you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

[1] Home - Lifewater

[2] I was thirsty

[3] World Enters “Era of Global Water Bankruptcy”: UN Scientists Formally Define New Post-Crisis Reality for Billions | United Nations University  Accessed September 6, 2026.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Paraphrased from Ezekiel 47:1-12. New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.