Watering the world

  Things come and go so quickly!  It doesn't seem so long ago that we were looking forward to the summer.  But summer is now almost past and we are preparing for the autumn.
  The organisers of the Baptist World Congress, held at the end of July in Birmingham, must be experiencing similar feelings over that event.  After years of planning and anticipation, this huge event - which is held every five years - welcomed 12,000 Baptists from across the world, including nine of us from Marshalswick.  It is now all over - although, like most parties, I am sure there is still a lot of cleaning up to be done.
  What are the memories that linger?  What impact did the Congress have?
  In a world torn apart by strife and injustice, here was a vision of what the Kingdom of Heaven is like.  The Congress provided a place of unity - a picture of how the world could and should be.
  Here were people of many ages, races and backgrounds - from a former US President to Christians, from West Papua, who are in fear of their lives.  Here were people who came from both the richest and the poorest nations on earth.  Here were seasoned, world travellers and those who had never been away from home before.
  They came together, united not by any political creed or cultural similarity but by their knowledge of the love of God for all of his people.
  In the mix of languages, in the melange of musical styles, in dress and social custom, we saw the variety of God's world in one place and the physical manifestation of the Congress’ theme of 'Living Water'.
  Here, we were united by the 'Living Water' that is ours in Jesus Christ.
  Together, we were able to draw our strength from that same well of Living Water that quenches our thirsts, whoever and whatever we are.
  From that Congress, the people of God went out to be 'Living Water', by putting God's love into action throughout the world; by taking his love and message of salvation into the dryness of our world.
  Although the Congress may be over - just as the summer is over - the Living Water continues to refresh and flow into the wide world through all of us and all of our churches.   God never stops working in us and through us, no matter whether a particular season is beginning or ending. His well never runs dry.
  Jesus said 'Whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.'

by Graham Clarke.