Living Waters: A global hymn for the Season of Creation
In the Season of Creation (September 1st to October 4th) Christians across the globe unite in prayer and action for our common home. This year the theme is Living Waters, drawn from Ezekiel 41:1-12, which depicts God’s life-giving water flowing from the temple of God. It is a river of abundance that restores, revives and revitalises our land and our ecosystems, and it’s a vision that invites every one of us to take responsibility, recognise the damage to our earth and embrace the interconnectedness of all things. The call this year is to be immersed in this living water so that the healing of our earth and our human wellbeing would flourish together.
Columbans around the world decided to work together to write a hymn as a response to this call, with the hope that we all may renew our commitment to care for God’s creation. Listen to the song below:
It has been written as a collaboratively between Marjorie Engcoy (previously a lay missionary in Fiji and now working in the Philippines), Fr Kurt Zion Pala SSC (based in Myanmar), Aung Li (a Columban student from Myanmar), Fr Pat Visanti SSC (a Fijian on mission in Pakistan), James Trewby (working in the UK) and Catherine Bridgwood (previously a Faith in Action Volunteer with the Columbans in Britain). From across the globe, the Columbans work together to hear and respond to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.
“Though we live in different places, we all stand beneath the same blue sky and are connected by the living waters of our Common Home. When the Earth suffers, the poor suffer with it-and so do we.” – Marjo
“As a Columban working in Myanmar, a country rich in natural resources and with many great rivers that flow through its land, but a land also ravaged by destructive mining activities that pollute both the land and its rivers, this song is very relevant to me. Songs have a way of leading us into home - our hearts and our Common Home the Earth. I hope this song of our rivers awaken in us a deeper love for Creation, draw us closer to one another, and remind us that, like the waters that flow together, we too are connected in one shared journey of life.” – Fr Kurt
“What a joy it is to be creative together, across countries and cultures – a wonderful project to be involved with” - James
We look forward to this hymn for creation being sung all around the world. As we stand in international solidarity with those crying out for peace and justice, we pray that we will together learn the language of love that cares for creation, drawing us into God’s river of living waters.
Source: Columban Missionaries Ireland.