Water, oh, water! 물이여, 오, 물이여!

Recently, early in the morning, a sudden notice was announced for the recruitment of eight volunteers to help repair the floor damage in Gwangju where one of our branch communities stays. Willingly and immediately, I volunteered to clear a house damaged by floods.

Six volunteers went together to the poorly built house near a field on the outskirts of the city, which belongs to the elderly mother of one of our sisters in the convent. Almost everything in the house as well as various farming products that she cultivated and preserved so dearly had to be taken out and thrown away because of water damage.

Fortunately, her eldest son was visiting her that night. Had he not been there, he wouldn't have been able to save his mother who was living alone in that miserable house.

In fact, water is a good thing, but it can also bring about such a disaster. This year, more damage happened due to climate change.

Water covers 71 percent of the Earth's surface, and our human body is composed of water ― 55 percent to 78 percent. According to Wikipedia, water is "an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and colorless chemical substance, the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all living organisms."

Water in the forms of solid ice, liquid or vapor is so good that the first thing I do when I get up in the morning is drink two large cups of water to stimulate my metabolism. Water is so vital for all forms of life that we constantly make use of water every single day: drinking, washing, showering, doing laundry, dishwashing, cultivating, cleaning, cooking….

However, water as seen in floods or major storms causes disaster, even though the water in streams or in the sea is the symbol of renewing life, purification, conversion and salvation.

Flowers, trees and plants need much water to keep themselves alive, dynamic, beautiful and charming. They become withered and lifeless immediately when they lack water.

I like to watch the raindrops falling down from heaven. To me, raindrops are the signs of abundant blessings. What would happen if there was no water at all in the world?

Isaiah the prophet says in Isaiah 55:1, "Come to the water all you who are thirsty; though you have no money, come!" This passage implies the spiritual abundance of following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.

Our country is still blessed with abundant water, probably because we are surrounded with so many mountains and trees. In Africa, many people are still suffering from famine, hunger and water shortages.

In fact, it is said that we have all the resources we need in the world, but many people are seriously suffering from the lack of food and water because of our selfish and excessive desire to have more and more. Those who are bestowed with more power and money have priority.

For example, in some countries, thousands of tons of food are destroyed to keep up prices, and most countries spend large sums of money on weapons. Such imbalances and injustice perpetuate to cause self-destruction.

If we are compassionate, generous, and altruistic, the money spent for selfish purposes could be used for the common good of needy people around the world. Why not empty our greedy hearts?

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2020/09/162_294651.html

The Korea Times/ Thoughts of the Times/ Aug 24(online)/ 25(offline), 2020