The Citizen, 2010-05-13, Page 20By Pastor Perry ChuipkaParish of New Beginnings inLucknow, Wingham, Blyth andBrussels
Two weeks ago we celebrated
Earth Day around Canada. But with
the needs of our planet, especially
when it comes to water, one wonders
if one Earth Day celebration is
enough. Did you know that our
planet is mostly made up of water?
Water is so abundant on this planet
that some believe the Earth should
be called the “water” planet.
Yet, despite the abundance of
water on the planet, we humans are
doing a rather poor job of sharing the
abundance. Concern over the
pollution of freshwater and many
efforts to limit access to fresh water
was so important that it led the
United Nations to declare 2003 “The
Year of Fresh water.” Where did we
go wrong?
Now let’s go back to the account
of water in the Bible. In the account
of Eden in Genesis 2, a river flows
out of Eden to water the garden. Life
and water are overflowing. God
blows moist breath into the clay to
bring the human to life. Water and
earth are combined by God to make
us humans.
God’s economy is always an
economy of abundance, but some
circumstances require more
planning.
Many Psalms and Proverbs remind
us of God’s bountiful gift of water
and our need to share that gift.
Proverbs reminds us that the one
who gives water will get water.
Proverbs 25:21 directs us to give
food and drink to even our enemies:
“and if they are thirsty give them
water to drink.”
For Jesus, sharing God’s gifts was
often exemplified by the use of
water. In Matthew 10:42 he says
‘whoever gives even a cup of cold
water to one of these little ones in
the name of a disciple, truly I say to
you, none of these will lose their
reward.”
It sounds clear that water was
valued and important in the Bible,
but somewhere along the line we
have lost that value of water.
According to the United Nation
Committee on Economic, Cultural,
and Social Rights water is not just an
economic commodity. On
November 28, 2002, the Committee
declared that access to water is a
human right. The committee defined
water as a limited natural resource
and a public commodityfundamental to life and health.“The human right to water entitleseveryone to sufficient, affordable,
physically accessible, safe and
acceptable water for personal and
domestic uses,” states the
Committee document. This is a
modern secular way of recognizing
that water does not come from our
own private ventures, but is provided
by God for all persons. Those that
declare water to be best provided by
private efforts are repeating Moses’
heresy of not recognizing God as
giver of water.
Today, some 1.1 billion people do
not have regular access to clean and
safe drinking water and some 2.4
billion do not have adequate
sanitation or sewage, according to
the United Nations.
The nations of the world gathered
for the Millennium Summit in 2000
and again for the World Summit on
Sustainable Development in
Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002.
At both of these summits, the leaders
of the nations of the world
committed themselves to reducing
by half the numbers of people with
out sustainable access to safe
drinking water by 2015.
The World Bank estimates that up
to $870 billion will be needed over
the next 10 years to improve access
for safe water and sanitation in
developing countries. In the absence
of international direct funding to
improve water access in third world
countries, the World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund are
demanding that countries privatize
water supplies, hoping that the
private sector will supply the funds
that rich nations refuse to supply.
Many businesses see that this will
not work. A United Methodist
businessman at the World Summit
on Sustainable development told the
U.S. delegation, “As much as I might
like to work in Africa on theseproblems, I am in business to makemoney and I can’t see how I canmake money doing this, there is still
a role for the U.S. government. I
support the U.S. doing more.”
According to the World Council of
Churches, 80 percent of the disease
in poor countries is related to poor
drinking water and sanitation. Six
thousand children a day will contract
diseases linked to unhealthy water.
By 2025, half of the world’s poorest
countries will face moderate to
severe water shortages unless the
Millennium and World Summit
Development Goals are met.
Forty per cent of the world’s
population goes thirsty every year,
but there are stark differences in
water use. In the United States,
water use continues to climb, but in
East Africa water use per capita has
halved in the last 30 years. In East
Africa, women and children now
walk an average of 21 minutes for
each trip to collect water.
While we give God thanks for our
daily bread (and water) we must
share God’s blessings with all. So
what can you and I do about the
shortage of water around the world?
We can begin by using only what we
need in our own country and taking
care of what water we do have. The
largest source of pollution into
waterways is polluted runoff from
contaminated storm water and snow
melt from urban and agricultural
fields. We can help clean up
waterways by taking the following
actions.
• Practise water conservation by
installing water-saving devices such
as efficient showerheads and low
flow faucet aerators.
By installing these water-saving
devices, each household can save
7,800 gallons of water and prevent
the release of 460 pounds of carbon
dioxide each year.
• Eliminate pesticides and usenatural fertilizers and plants on yourhome and church landscape.North Americans apply 70 million
pounds of pesticides to home lawns
and gardens each year, polluting our
precious water resources. If only
1,000 of us stop using pesticides in
our gardens and lawns, we’ll protect
creation from 950 pounds of toxins
each year.
• Decrease impact of runoff at
home or at church by installing rain
barrels, rain gardens or decreasing
the amount of impervious surface
cover (areas such as parking lots and
sidewalks that resist water
penetration).
When we do these things, then
Earth Day becomes more than just
one day of the year. It becomes a
way that we live and we become
more aware of the preciousness of
water not only for us but also for our
brothers and sisters around theworld.PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2010.From the Minister’s Study
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, May 16
Brussels Public School
at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Sunday School for children
4 to 11 years of age (mornings only)
Childcare provided for infants and toddlers
Coffee & cookies after the morning service
For additional details please contact:
Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
Chris McMichael 519.482.1644
Please join us for worship
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00am
Evening Service 7:30pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Pastor John Kuperus
Hwy. 4, Blyth
YOU ARE WELCOME
9:45 a.m. Sunday School for all ages
10:30 a.m. - Sunday Morning Worship
Mid-week Bible Study
C H U R C H O F G O D ,ANDERS
O
N
,
I
N
D
I
A
N
A
Timeless Truths
For Today
308 Blyth Rd. E., Blyth
Pastor Les Cook ~ 519-523-4590
Blyth Community Church of God
119 John’s Ave.,Auburn
519-526-1131
www.huronchapel.org
9:30 a.m.
Sunday School & Small Groups
10:30 a.m.
Morning Worship Service
Guest Speaker:
Rev.Wilbert Schwindt
Special Music:
Clinton District
Christian School Choir
Auction Sale for El Salvador
Saturday, May 15
Come and check out the items that are
for auction. Proceeds from household
items and baked goods that are sold
will be used to buy supplies that are
needed to build homes in El Salvador.
at 10:00 am
41102 B Summerhill Rd.
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
Welcomes you to come
and worship with us
Trinity, Blyth
9:15 a.m.
519-523-9595
St. John's, Brussels
11:15 a.m.
519-887-6862
Sunday, May 16
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Sandra Cable, Worship Leader
Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wightman.ca
Sunday, May 16
Ethel United Church
Worship Service and Sunday School - 9:30 a.m.
Brussels United Church
Worship Service and Sunday School - 11:00 a.m.
Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
SUNDAY, MAY 16
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
519-887-2664
10:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School
Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street
Blyth United Church
Office: 519-523-4224 Rev. Gary Clark
All Welcome
Sunday, May 16
Worship Service & Sunday School at 11 a.m.
getlivingwater.org
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
at Blyth Public School,
corner of King & Mill
Tuesdays 7:30 pm - Wingham Bible Study
1st & 3rd Wednesdays 7:30 pm - Women at the Well
Fridays 7:30 pm - Youth Group
Christ-centred, Bible-believing,
Fellowship-friendly, Growth-geared
May 16: Acts 11:1-18
“God’s
Freedom to
Rattle our
Definitions”
It’s time for more than one Earth Day