A long time ago, in a land far away from here, a band of travellers were crossing the wilderness.The group had been travelling for many days. They were tired, hot and thirsty. One day, the band discovered a natural spring, gushing forth fresh, clean, clear water. They slaked their thirst, filling their water bottles, refreshing their camels. And they wished to give thanks to God for the spring, which had eased their pain and strengthened them for their journey. So they built a cairn, a pile of rocks, by the side of the spring, and they said prayers of thanksgiving. The travellers reached their destination, and they told others of the spring that they had found in the wilderness.

Time passed. Other travellers came through the wilderness and came to the spring, to quench their thirst and gain refreshment. They too wished to give thanks and praise to God, so they added more stones to the cairn, and the cairn became a wall, sheltering the spring from the harsh, dry winds of the wilderness.

Time passed. Other travellers came through the wilderness and came to the spring, to quench their thirst and gain refreshment. They too wished to give thanks and praise to God, so they added more stones to the wall, and the wall became a shelter, a small dwelling, sheltering the spring from the harsh, dry winds of the wilderness.

Time passed. Other travellers came through the wilderness and came to the spring, to quench their thirst and gain refreshment. They too wished to give thanks and praise to God, so they added more stones to the shelter, and the shelter became a great building surrounding the spring, keeping back the sand and dust blown in on the harsh, dry winds of the wilderness.

Time passed. Other travellers came through the wilderness and came to the building, for they had heard of this building in the wilderness. They were suitably impressed by the stature of the dwelling, and they too wished to give thanks and praise to God, so they added more stones to the building, and after many years the building became a magnificent stone structure, visible from many miles away. Now travellers came into the wilderness to see this magnificence, and each traveller added a few more stones. And people began to live in the dwelling, and they welcomed travellers and gave them hospitality.

Time passed. A traveller came by after a long journey in the wilderness. This traveller was thirsty, and the thought came to the traveller – is there water somewhere in this place. And the people who lived there said ‘we don’t know’ – but here, let us refresh you with what we have to offer. But that was not enough for the traveller. And so the traveller searched, and he couldn’t find the water. And yet, there was something he could smell, something that drove him to keep searching, and so he continued to search, and to look deeper into the building. And so he went in to the centre and began to dig, and he began to remove stones. And yes, there, underneath the stones, behind all the walls, hidden by the building, unknown to the residents: here was the water of life. So, the traveller drank, and was satisfied.

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There is such a tremendous thirst for God in the society in which we live. May we be channels of living water to those who are thirsty, not a magnificent pile of stones barring their way.

I didn’t create this story, but I can no longer track where I first read it. I have embellished the telling a little.