only water
Tonight I got home, and was greeted by my son. He had a blanket tied around his neck and was wearing his batman pajamas. Before I could set my bag down I was assaulted several times by batman because he thought I was a bad guy. My daughter and I then danced together for a time while batman was defeating ghosts. I then walked into my kitchen, grabbed a glass from the cupboard, filled it with water from my Brita filter and drank a glass of clean refreshing water.
More often now whenever I drink a cup of cold water I think of billions who do not have it that easy. Across the globe men and women have to walk miles just to get a cup of clean water. There are many more who drink what water is available and it is literally killing them. For as much as we here about the lack of anti-retroviral drugs and how easy it should be for those in the poorest countries of the world to get them … water should be easier.
It is not right that so many are dying because of lack of water. The World Heath Organization suggests that more than 3 million people die each year because of bad water. Over 6 million lose their eyesight because of bad water. Out of those millions of people 90% are under the age of five. Ninety percent of the dead are someone’s batman or someone’s dance partner. I am really sick of hearing about this.
The hope is that it can be fixed. We can do something about this, and see tangible results from our efforts. My wife and I have decided to do something beginning Ash Wednesday of 2007 which is February 21. Ash Wednesay is the first day of the Lenten Season. It is a day where God’s people reflect on our own lives. The ashes help us to remember who we are as men and women who have been freed from sin through the sacrifice of Jesus.
The Lenten Season that follows is forty days of fasting. It is a season of preparation as we prepare for the joy of Easter. Through this we identify with Jesus who fasted for forty days in the desert and with millions of brothers and sisters who have observed this time since the Fourth Century. Lent is a time for introspection, self examination, and repentance.
In observing this time we will be abstaining from drinking anything but tap water. No coffee, juice, Brita filtered water, beer, wine, milk, Odwalla juices, Dr. Pepper or anything else that is not tap water. As each day passes I will take the money I would normally put toward my morning coffee in an envelope. With each trip to the grocery store where no juice or milk is purchased my wife and I will put the money we would normally spend on those things in an envelope.
We have figured that over the course of forty days we will put away somewhere in the neighborhood of $150 - $200. What does this mean? According to Blood Water Mission it means that 150 - 200 people can have clean drinking water for an entire year. It means that International Aid will be able to deliver more Plastic BioSand Water Filters™ to the poorest countries of the world. It means that Water Aid will be able to build wells, educate men and women about hygiene. It means that someone’s batman will live another day to fight the bad guys. It means that a dad will be able to dance another day with his daughter.
We can change the world. I invite you to join me during this Lenten Season in changing our world one drop of water at a time. I will be updating my blog during Lent with links to articles educating us about water sanitation, listing sites that receive donations will contain information about how you, your family, your small group, your co-workers, your church or anyone can save literally thousands of lives in forty days.
Please join us. We are not asking you to do more, we are simply asking you to do less.