ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
March 17, 2022
Hydration is important for any runner, but some drink from the wrong “well.” That might sound strange, but too much water, especially for a distance runner, can dilute the sodium level in one’s blood. Hyponatremia is dangerously low sodium in the body, and it has been known to cause death in runners. This is not intended to be a science lesson or a word of advice to runners, but a reminder of how we sometimes think we are taking in what we need, when in fact, it is bringing injury to us. Runners will drink lots and lots of water, but nothing to replenish the sodium they are sweating out of their bodies. Fluid is important, but a good sports drink with what the body really needs is essential. This coming Sunday, we will begin a series entitled: Visiting the Well. How often do we go to the wrong well and drink what is not healthy for us? How often do people beautifully market wells that do not provide what we really need? In some situations, the wells are dry, yet we continue to drop our buckets and drink the dust. In John’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of living water, yet I see people fighting ugly fights over different manifestations of living water. Maybe a good place to start is to observe and take notice of who exactly is refreshed and renewed. If folks seem parched, with a Gospel as dry as the driest desert, then maybe they haven’t yet found living water.
Lead me, O Gracious God, away from what won’t bring life. Even if the journey is long, guide me to where I will find what is life-giving and soul-saving. It is there that I shall drink. Amen.
