Water in third world countries...
Illustration
Water in third world countries is a problem. It's not a matter of turning on a faucet. From Cairo to Jakarta, if one does not live on the bank of a river, most water is stored in cisterns, to be filled with rain during the monsoon-filled winters, and horded through the hot, dry summers.
A well-built cistern will keep water much cooler than the summer air, providing a refreshing drink or relief from the hot sun if splashed on. But cisterns also have problems, from mosquitoes laying eggs on the surface to algae, leaves and sludge building up on the walls and fouling the water.
To the people of his day, Jesus' words "living water" brought to mind a flowing stream, a spring-fed well, or the apparently cleanliness of the moving waters of a lake. The waves wash away the bits and pieces that tend to cover the surface of standing water, and makes the dirt settle. What a refreshing change, to be invited to drink, freely and without fear of disease or parasites, from water that is truly sparkling clean and pure!
-- Herrmann
A well-built cistern will keep water much cooler than the summer air, providing a refreshing drink or relief from the hot sun if splashed on. But cisterns also have problems, from mosquitoes laying eggs on the surface to algae, leaves and sludge building up on the walls and fouling the water.
To the people of his day, Jesus' words "living water" brought to mind a flowing stream, a spring-fed well, or the apparently cleanliness of the moving waters of a lake. The waves wash away the bits and pieces that tend to cover the surface of standing water, and makes the dirt settle. What a refreshing change, to be invited to drink, freely and without fear of disease or parasites, from water that is truly sparkling clean and pure!
-- Herrmann
