We are God’s servants
An oasis usually gets its name because it is a place of life that is surrounded by places that are barren and draining. An oasis is therefore different than its surrounding environment. An oasis revives rather than destroys, nourishes instead of starves, waters instead of dehydrates. It is bigger, more important work than we may have first realized; to truly be different, to be a sanctuary by more than just name. This is sacred but hard work, because we are surrounded by a wasteland of divisiveness - of name-calling, ripping, gloating, demeaning, fear, hatred and bitterness. And yet, we are often sucked in, thinking that if we drink from these waters we will receive what we need. Our natural inclination to divide and separate is nourished by politicians, religious leaders, social pressures - they invite us to the shores of the dead sea and say “drink from the water, it will nourish you.” It may seem promising at first, like any water in the dessert, but in the end, it cannot give you what you need. In fact, it will dehydrate your soul and starve your faith. The fact of the matter is, nothing but the Spirit can nourish you, nothing but the Living Water can truly satisfy, and the Gardener alone provides the growth.