I heard it raining though out much of the night.  And now a blotch of rain has traveled from the southwest along I-44 and arrived at my yard.  We’re in a period of unsettled weather, so the weather people inform us via their tell and show segment of the news.

There is a passage in Ezekiel 47 in which the prophet is brought to the door of the temple, “and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple.”  The prospect of seeing water flow out of our church or home or any building is usually not regarded as a good thing.  In Ezekiel’s vision water is flowing out of all sides of the temple.  This water forms a river and, in a scene reprised in Revelation 22, continually fruit bearing trees line it banks.  These scenes take us back to Genesis 2:10-14 with the four rivers flowing from Eden. Though we are approaching the end of the Easter season, we are also taken back to Jesus on the cross, where from his spear pierced side water and blood flowed.  This scene is from John’s Gospel where early on Jesus declared that he was God’s temple.

As the water flowed over our heads in baptism, we too became temples of God, earthly homes for the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to take up residence in us.  From us, temples of God that we are, the waters of our baptism flow into the world as we live as mobile holy places.   As we go about our daily walk, God goes with us and shows his gracious self to the world through his holy living temples.