Rivers
Fishing boats on the Nile just down the hill from Junam archdeaconry headquarters
A view of the mighty Murchison Falls from on top of the canyon
Pakwatch Bridge - just one of two Nile River crossings on our way from Kampala to Arua
The following is the monthly reflective piece we wrote for the August newsletters of our supporting churches. Just thought you might like to read this one....
The Nile River is associated with the country of Egypt when in fact the source to this mighty river is Lake Victoria in Uganda. Our first night in Uganda was spent at the Buziga guest house which is within sight of this truly great lake. So it is that we had the privilege of watching the sun rise above the lake our first morning in Africa, the light of the orange orb reflecting colorfully off the faded blue waters below. Since that first morning, we have had the opportunity to get to know the Nile River more intimately during our many trips to our home in Arua from the capital, Kampala.
We like to stop at Karuma Falls, which marks the half-way point between Arua and Kampala, to stretch our legs, eat a picnic lunch, and enjoy the beauty and power of the river as it cascades, churns, and roils across rocks, jetties, and drops. We also enjoy passing over the Nile River on the Pakwach Bridge, a couple of hours from home. The banks around the bridge harbor good wallowing spots for elephants. During our most recent trip we took the time to visit our favorite spot on the Nile, Murchison Falls. One can either take a scenic boat ride along crocodile and hippo festooned banks toward the bottom of the falls, or drive off the main road for a ways to reach where it is forced from a mile-wide river through a nine meter rock corridor. The thunder and roar is deafening and invigorating and the spray droplets come falling down on you like rain.
Water has become an important part of our life here in Uganda, much as it was and is an important part of life in the Middle East. The Bible is replete with references to water. And there’s a beautiful symmetry to be found in the imagery that is used. The first chapter of Genesis opens with the account of how, “The earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” So begins the creation account. Then, in the last chapter of the book of Revelations, we find the same Spirit of God calling out to mankind, saying, “Come! Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” We are indeed fallen if we do not marvel with King David, “who is man that this God that created all things in heaven and on earth should be mindful of him; should offer him the free gift of the water of life defiant as he is?”
In between the first and last chapter of the Bible, the same imagery is used by poets speaking softly of lying, “down in green pastures,” and being led by “quite waters” (Psalm 23) and by prophets crying aloud, “let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream” (Amos 5). Most importantly, we find this imagery used in the gospel accounts where we find Christ, for example, affirming to the woman at the well that, “indeed, the water I give will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4). But it is at Christ’s death that we come to understand the full depth of what this reference to life-giving water means. At the crucifixion, we read, blood and water flowed out of Christ’s body after his side was pierced by a Roman spear. The water, along with the blood, represents God’s grace, forgiveness, good will, peace, love, sacrifice, righteousness and so much more on so many levels.
Isaiah both described and expounded upon Christ’s death when he prophesied, “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53). How amazing it is that this event would be so accurately and poetically portrayed by the prophet centuries before it occurred. And how much more amazing it is that Christ, who was present before time and through whom all things have their being, would be willing to step into human history and sacrifice so much in order to offer us peace and healing!
Christ’s broken body was resurrected to wholeness on the third day. While His physical body was later taken into heaven at the ascension, His figurative body, the universal Church, still exists in the world today. And just as Christ’s physical body was once pierced and crushed, there are times when members of Christ’s figurative body feel beaten and broken. While we can in no way compare our experiences this past year to that of the crucifixion, the fact is that we have felt emotionally bruised at times. This was certainly the case when we recently made the very difficult decision to phase out of our Arua position and return to the US where proper treatment for certain health concerns can be found. This decision was absolutely necessary, but the issues associated with it have been difficult to understand and hard to come to terms with.
And yet, through the bruising has come the realization that the figurative body of Christ, the Church family to which we all belong, continues to represent hope just as Christ’s physical body did to the apostles two thousand years ago. Your encouragement, prayer, and support of both our ministry and of us have been for this past year a stream of life-giving water. We thank you for allowing Christ to work His good work in our hearts through you, our dear family, friends, colleagues, supporters, and brothers and sisters in Christ. We are grateful to each and every one of you and our hope is that we will be able one day to pass along the same message of peace and healing that you have given us throughout this oftentimes exciting, and sometimes trying, period of mission work with CRWRC in Uganda.
We pray God’s rich blessings on you in your lives of service to the Almighty, who is the source of the river of life (Revelations 22). Amen.
We like to stop at Karuma Falls, which marks the half-way point between Arua and Kampala, to stretch our legs, eat a picnic lunch, and enjoy the beauty and power of the river as it cascades, churns, and roils across rocks, jetties, and drops. We also enjoy passing over the Nile River on the Pakwach Bridge, a couple of hours from home. The banks around the bridge harbor good wallowing spots for elephants. During our most recent trip we took the time to visit our favorite spot on the Nile, Murchison Falls. One can either take a scenic boat ride along crocodile and hippo festooned banks toward the bottom of the falls, or drive off the main road for a ways to reach where it is forced from a mile-wide river through a nine meter rock corridor. The thunder and roar is deafening and invigorating and the spray droplets come falling down on you like rain.
Water has become an important part of our life here in Uganda, much as it was and is an important part of life in the Middle East. The Bible is replete with references to water. And there’s a beautiful symmetry to be found in the imagery that is used. The first chapter of Genesis opens with the account of how, “The earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” So begins the creation account. Then, in the last chapter of the book of Revelations, we find the same Spirit of God calling out to mankind, saying, “Come! Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” We are indeed fallen if we do not marvel with King David, “who is man that this God that created all things in heaven and on earth should be mindful of him; should offer him the free gift of the water of life defiant as he is?”
In between the first and last chapter of the Bible, the same imagery is used by poets speaking softly of lying, “down in green pastures,” and being led by “quite waters” (Psalm 23) and by prophets crying aloud, “let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream” (Amos 5). Most importantly, we find this imagery used in the gospel accounts where we find Christ, for example, affirming to the woman at the well that, “indeed, the water I give will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4). But it is at Christ’s death that we come to understand the full depth of what this reference to life-giving water means. At the crucifixion, we read, blood and water flowed out of Christ’s body after his side was pierced by a Roman spear. The water, along with the blood, represents God’s grace, forgiveness, good will, peace, love, sacrifice, righteousness and so much more on so many levels.
Isaiah both described and expounded upon Christ’s death when he prophesied, “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53). How amazing it is that this event would be so accurately and poetically portrayed by the prophet centuries before it occurred. And how much more amazing it is that Christ, who was present before time and through whom all things have their being, would be willing to step into human history and sacrifice so much in order to offer us peace and healing!
Christ’s broken body was resurrected to wholeness on the third day. While His physical body was later taken into heaven at the ascension, His figurative body, the universal Church, still exists in the world today. And just as Christ’s physical body was once pierced and crushed, there are times when members of Christ’s figurative body feel beaten and broken. While we can in no way compare our experiences this past year to that of the crucifixion, the fact is that we have felt emotionally bruised at times. This was certainly the case when we recently made the very difficult decision to phase out of our Arua position and return to the US where proper treatment for certain health concerns can be found. This decision was absolutely necessary, but the issues associated with it have been difficult to understand and hard to come to terms with.
And yet, through the bruising has come the realization that the figurative body of Christ, the Church family to which we all belong, continues to represent hope just as Christ’s physical body did to the apostles two thousand years ago. Your encouragement, prayer, and support of both our ministry and of us have been for this past year a stream of life-giving water. We thank you for allowing Christ to work His good work in our hearts through you, our dear family, friends, colleagues, supporters, and brothers and sisters in Christ. We are grateful to each and every one of you and our hope is that we will be able one day to pass along the same message of peace and healing that you have given us throughout this oftentimes exciting, and sometimes trying, period of mission work with CRWRC in Uganda.
We pray God’s rich blessings on you in your lives of service to the Almighty, who is the source of the river of life (Revelations 22). Amen.
posted by Team Smith @ 12:46 PM
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