River of the Water of Life & the Olympics

  

A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches. The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold,  and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there.  The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

Genesis 2 10-14 NRSVue

My phone tells me that the number of steps I take each week has dropped significantly but I figure that's okay. We are back on our bicycles regularly and that skews everything. We are also back on the water, canoeing a number of times during May, on the Bay of Quinte and a couple of rivers. Paddle strokes don't count as steps but they are certainly exercise.

I would paddle either in our canoe or kayaks every day, if I could. I love the experience of being on the water and all the creatures we encounter. I've had occasions when I could barely muster the energy to get our craft on the roof of the vehicle only to be rejuvenated by the rhythm of paddling and all the sights and sounds.

Humans have taken rivers for granted in just about every setting around the world and Canada is no exception. They have been used as sewers, they have been buried, they have been dammed, they have been conduits for industrial waste. Drinking from most urban rivers or swimming in them would be or should be unthinkable. Even supposedly sacred rivers such as India's Ganges are a toxic mess. 

You may have heard that France is spending billions on cleaning up the legendary Seine River which flows through Paris, in anticipation of hosting the 2024 Olympics. The proposal is for the hosts to hold events on and in the river as they did for the Olympics in 1900 but many are doubtful that the Seine could be clean enough for athletes to swim in this water without the competition being their last. It's been illegal to swim in the Seine for a century because it is so polluted. Still,this is a noble goal. 

                                                                             Don River Revitalization

Closer to home, the city of Toronto is engaged in a 1.25 billion dollar revitalization of the mouth of the Don River, rescuing it from the industrialized Port Lands which might as well be called the wastelands. This project will not only restore habitat for creatures it will greatly mitigate the risk of flooding and provide recreational opportunities for residents. Thank God that the project was initiated before the Ford government could kibosh it. One of our daughters and her partner live close to this area and are excited by the possibilities. 

The bible has plenty of rivers, actual and metaphorical. Of course, the Jordan River is central to the story of the Exodus and entering the Promised Land, while Jesus was baptized in the Jordan. 

There is the river flowing out of Eden in Genesis and the River of Life in the Revelation of John. Our Christian bible begins and ends with visions of rivers. 

While we were in Israel a few weeks ago we stopped at the traditional baptism site where people robbed in white were undergoing "kinda" baptisms, foregoing immersing their heads because the river is so polluted. What have we done? 

Taking care of our rivers and waters is surely a sacred trust.

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month, and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

 Revelation 22: 1-2 NRSVue