Week of 2 Epiphany, Thursday

"Peace, Be Still" by Chinese artist He Qi

Anchored in living water

From the letter to the Hebrews, we read that "we have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul" in Jesus, who takes his place in heaven as a priest forever (Heb. 6:19).

In the story from John's Gospel, we read the exchange between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. He asks her for water, then in response to her question says that he can give her living water -- "those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty," he says. "The water I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life" (John 4:14).

We are anchored in living water -- we have within us, as we take the words of Jesus to heart, a well of consolation and strength always available to us. Some speak of "soaking in the Word" as we read the Scriptures in the Daily Office. The words of the Psalms and canticles, the lessons from Scripture, the daily Collects, all become familiar, and when we need them, they are there. The more and more we pray these words, the more they form a deep and nourishing well in us.

But we also have to be up and abroad in the world, and the "living water" we travel across is often tempestuous and turbulent. Having the words of Jesus deep within us also means we have an anchor, though it is more like we have Jesus himself calming the wind and the seas -- we are not stuck, we are free to move, but we do not have to fear that we will be capsized.

We cannot always be still in prayer, but wherever we go, we can trust in Jesus, the "sure and steadfast anchor of the soul."