Week two of the Creationtide theme of Justice and Peace flowing through God’s Loving Presence in the World – combining the international theme with the wish to celebrate the beauty of the earth – the positive alongside the hardship and emergency of climate change.

This week’s sub theme is Streams, Lochs and Seas – God’s gift of Living Water,

The vastness of the sea –
like so much of life –
sometimes a calm and beautiful oasis,
sometimes full of great power within the storm.
But home to creatures, great and small,
and a world that offers us,
amongst the dangers of storm and creatures,
travel and exploration, joy and refreshment
through God’s living water gathered aplenty.

It’s fed by the rivers
snaking through our lands,
the great network of roads for our water –
complete with rest stops of lochs along the way.
The living water refreshment as it passes
through hill and valley, city and town,
across the land and seeking to provide us all
with God’s living water as it travels the land.

They’re fed by the streams,
trickling away through tiny well-worn channels –
gentle spots for humans and wildlife both,
to refresh and renew and satisfy thirst
far from the plenty of the sea.
Collecting water from the ground –
God’s living waters, beginning the journey to the sea.

Whether stream or river, loch or sea,
it’s all topped up through God’s gift
of rain and sleet, hail and snow –
falling across land and sea without prejudice.
Droughts ended, the land cleansed,
thirst quenched and living creatures refreshed,
thanks be to God for all his living water.

(Written 12 September, 2023)