The colorful Acorn Woodpecker perches on the top of our fence at the edge of the lawn. He dips his head as the sprinklers sweep by, as if in thanks for the welcome spray. The four-year California drought is taking its toll. By this month of July the grass, trees, and animals large and small are all feeling it.

“The desert shall rejoice and blossom,” says Isaiah in Chapter 35. “The burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water. . . .” Welcome rains and the greening of the earth become a metaphor for the joy of all creation when God brings justice on earth and guides the oppressed and imprisoned people back home.

We are stewards not only of water, but also of such justice, on behalf of people and all these creatures surrounding us. This is the surprise: often the way that God brings justice is through us, through human beings. When we’re not stepping up to bring it in, God thirsts for it to come. Water and justice: two essentials we need to pray for – and then act upon.

Your partner in ministry,

Betsy Schwarzentraub