Creative Practice Week 2 – Water is Us!

Our readings during week 2 revolved around patient safety. One of the most important things anyone can do to remain healthy and prevent the spread of germs and disease is to wash your hands frequently. How do we do this, with water. Water is symbolic of healing, purification and cleansing. Water is everywhere. According Genesis 1:2, 6-8, water was created on the first day of creation. It is part of nature as well as part of mankind’s culture. There is nothing that can exist without water. Our bodies are 98% water, without daily replenishment of it we become dehydrated, eventually we would die. We bath in it; we play in it. We use it to water our food sources and some of our food sources live in it. Fact is we are dependent on water.

Water is a permanent topic in the news. Discussions about it range from lack of water causing famine, to too much water causing flooding. Of late, there is a great concern over people not having clean water to drink and therefore becoming ill and starting epidemics of diseases such as cholera, Legionnaires’ disease and typhoid fever.

Immediate closeness of water is required for the transformation of bodies and of humans in general, as we all know through the washing of babies and dead corpses. The rule also applies in religious contexts through the ritual of baptizing. In religion, the same concept applies: water transgresses boundaries and shows its relevance at unexpected places. Water transforms the social and physical status of humans, but people also transform water. One example is the holy water produced by a Catholic priest for use in baptism and healing.(Hahn, Cless, & Soentgen, 2012)

Apart from the importance of water for life and purification, the Christian scriptural idea of water preserves a certain symbolism reflected in the liturgical tradition. Water transmits a number of symbols: destruction; death and burial; life; purification; cleansing; healing; blessing; sanctification; baptism including remission of sins, illumination, regeneration, new birth; the presence of the Holy Spirit; redemption; salvation.(“Alexander Pokhilko -- The Meaning of Water in Christianity,” n.d.) Water symbolism is used in many other religions as well in non-symbolic ways. Water is sacred, especially rivers, to the Hindu. It is customary for Muslims to wash themselves before prayer so that they are pure.  Many other religions do similar things.

In Feng Shui, water is a very important and powerful symbol. Moving water represents wealth flowing to you.(“Water Symbol,” n.d.) The water lily was also associated symbolically with water. Koi fish are also associated with water.

I love this Huffington Post article comparing water to love to water. The author says, “Loving others in difficult times reminds me of water as a symbol of love because, water is known to be a universal solvent. Water goes everywhere, seeps into everything. No matter how hardened a substance may be, water will soften it. In the words of Matthew Fox, "There is no problem, however complex and difficult, that enough love cannot dissolve."

Water runs into the tiniest and most lowly places. When we love others unconditionally, we take the humble position of supporting them, of truly wanting them to be happy rather than seeking self-aggrandizement. Paul in his often quoted letter to the Corinthians said that love is not boastful and puffed up; rather, love is kind and humble.

Water is patient as it persistently wears away even the hardest granite mountain over millions of years, flushing away the rock's minerals downstream to the ocean. Unconditional loving allows us to wait, to take time, to be steady and still, to know only the best during intense moments, to have faith in the innate goodness of the other person and us, to believe that a positive, life-affirming outcome is always possible

Water purifies and cleanses just by washing over anything, clearing away the silt and calcified residue, by virtue of simply being itself, by moving freely and continuously. Love is like that too. When a problem or misunderstanding arises, communication expressed from a gentle tide of kindness and openness has a cleansing effect so that people can feel the safety of releasing and sharing what's really troubling them. This releasing opens the way for reconciliation

It is believed that our emotions are carried in the water of our bodies -- our tears, sweat, blood, and moist breath. The body shows a state of balance and good health when our water flow is unobstructed. Circulation of our feelings in life-affirming ways is like the circulation of water that keeps the pond of life fresh and clean, yielding ever-greater life. Water is nourishing as it brings nutrients to the dry field to allow sprouting and blossoming for an abundant harvest. Like water, Love is the great nurturer.

So too is Love like water: Love is the natural medium that carries messages, that flow incessantly and silently, bringing us together, conveying what is often unspoken -- the message from our hearts to others and to the world -- allowing life to continue and flourish in all our relationships.”(“Water as a Symbol of Love,” n.d.)

I had intended to add a poem about water in this post; however, I think this says it all very well.

Alexander Pokhilko -- The Meaning of Water in Christianity. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2015, from http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles4/PokhiltoWater.php

Hahn, H. P., Cless, K., & Soentgen, J. (2012). People at the Well: Kinds, Usages and Meanings of Water in a Global Perspective. Campus Verlag.

Water as a Symbol of Love. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2015, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-hyder-zahed/water-as-a-symbol-of-love_b_5516722.html

Water Symbol. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2015, from http://feng-shui.lovetoknow.com/Water_Symbol