Last night we had the first good thunderstorm of the year. And as much as I like to see the bright flashes and feel the rumblings in my chest, I have to admit that I've always been a good bit afraid of lightning. It doesn't matter how many times I'm told that that odds of my being struck are somewhat lower that my being abducted by aliens -- I just don't like the idea. So I choose to focus on the rain
I think I instinctively like the rain more because it's easier to understand. Electricity is hard to grasp. But rain...I mean, it's water, right? It's in the shower, I drink it, I use it to cook...H2O, I get it. At least, I thought I did. Turns out water is pretty complex after all. Irvin Korr, a monumental figure in the history of osteopathic medicine, had this to say about it: "Nothing we know about either oxygen or hydrogen accounts for the three states of water (liquid, solid, and gas), their respective properties, the boiling and freezing points, viscosity, and so forth. Water incorporates yet transcends oxygen and hydrogen."
Today in church we had a Baptism. I have always found that particular service especially moving, and today's was no exception. And more so than ever, for me, the awesome mystery of water was on display. Through prayer in the service, the historical importance of water is recounted -- "Over it the Holy Spirit moved in the beginning...Through it you led the children out of Israel...In it your Son Jesus received the baptism of John." Moreover, it's importance in the life of Christians today is made plain: "In it [water] we are buried with Christ...By it we share in his Resurrection. Through it we are reborn by the Holy Spirit."
Is it any wonder, then, that something so important in the life of church as water should be, as Irvin Korr observed, capable of transcending its simple components? And is it any wonder that it continues to hold our fascination today even in the midst of an awesome thunderstorm?
Amazingly enough, I hear the beginning of another storm right now. Maybe it's water's way of saying goodnight.
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