Christian churches and organizations around the world are celebrating the Season of Creation this month. In a time when it’s difficult to get diverse groups to collaborate, the ecumenical nature of this celebration (Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, World Council of Churches) is significant. Perhaps it’s yet another indicator of the dire straits in which we find Mother Earth these days.
The theme for this year’s Season of Creation is Living Water, and I certainly encountered living water in Costa Rica. In Tortuguero, people travel by broad canals instead of building roads because there is so much water. I stood on beaches teeming with life on both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Rain fell daily during our travels, and we were fortunate not to be flooded out of some areas and activities (as happened before and after our visits to some places).
Of course, flooding for travelers is usually (though not always!) just an inconvenience. For many, flooding brings devastation, as it has recently in Nepal and Hawaii. We are reminded that human habitations are fragile constructions in comparison with the power of nature.
I’d read that the ground in many verdant rain forests is covered by a thin layer of topsoil over dense and impermeable clay. I got a glimpse of that when we visited the hanging bridges in Costa Rica’s mountains. See the dramatically lighter pink color in the center of this picture? I thought I was seeing a layer of concrete installed by humans to channel the water and prevent erosion. Not so. This is a stream of living water which has worn away the thin layer of topsoil to reveal the water-resistant pink clay beneath. All the rain forest is perched on and sustained by such a thin layer of topsoil—a surprisingly fragile ecosystem.
The power of water can transform desert landscapes too. I recently visited Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument in central New Mexico. Mom and I traversed a narrow canyon carved through ancient volcanic pumice, ash, and tuff deposits. The result is beautiful, as you can see here—and the canyon is still being reshaped by every flash flood that flows through the area.
Where do you experience the presence of living water? When have you witnessed the impact of water on our fragile creation?
