The Olentangy River ( it's pronounced OH lehn TANGE ee not OH lhen TANG ee. Which reminds me, when was the last time you some Tang orange drink? Tang! It's a kick in a glass! Anyway, back to the rest of this sentence) runs through the campus of THE Ohio State University. A bike path runs along side it and on nice days in the fall, on campus it seems everyone on campus turns into a fitness guru and goes for a bike ride or a run along the path. Sometimes I'll join in on this fitness craze and run by the river. Sometimes, just to take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather (global warming is a good thing. I like warm weather) we've enjoyed in Columbus, I'll just walk by the river in the fading sunshine of a Midwestern afternoon. Sometimes I'll just sit in the grass overlooking the river and get weird looks from bikers and runners who think I'm creeping on them. I find it helps me clear my thoughts, and the quietness of scenery gives me plenty of time to spend in prayer. It also allows me to say things "I went down to the river to pray" (hey, like that one song!).
So a little background on the Olentangy River. It might look pretty in the autumn sun as the water reflects the colors of the orange leaves. There are ducks and other water fowl swimming in harmony with one another. Maybe you'd even like to take a little swim in river. That's just foolish. The river is a dump. Well, more accurately, it's a river where sewers and drains dump their contents. As a Microbiology major, I could probably test the quality of that water and then let you know about all the fecal matter that's brewing in that cesspool. But hey, it still looks pretty. It would be an incredibly daunting task to clean the river. But hypothetically lets say you could. One day, a motley crew of environmentally conscious scientists and hipsters went to work and completely cleaned up the river and made it possible for wildlife and humans to enjoy the fresh water oasis in the middle of a college campus. In fact, you could even drink the water if you wanted to. How long would the restored river last? Until the next rainfall when sewers and drains dumped the contents of filthy urban runoff into the Olentangy. A continual system of pricey upkeep would be necessary to maintain the river, and the hipsters would probably stop caring soon enough.
Now then why am I talking about a dirty river? Because I think it makes for a great picture of the Gospel. Our world is filthy. I'm filthy. So are you. We're covered in sin. Any man made remedy can never clean us. In the Israelite tradition, continual sacrifices needed to be made, but no sacrifice could ever take away the stain of sin. Our own attempts at righteousness fall short of what God intends for us. A perfect God demands perfection. The only thing that can cleanse us is the blood of a perfect sacrifice, Jesus Christ. We must embrace the truth that we are not good enough. Our lives are a mess. The work of Christ on the cross cleanses us completely. And when we sin again, Jesus' blood cleanses us still. We must drink from the living water, the water that gives eternal life, a life that is complete and fulfilling. This water will never get dirty. It is always clean, always fresh.
You want a real picture of a perfect river. Read this from Revelation Chapter 22:
"1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever."
The River of Life, God's river is way more beautiful and magnificent then the Olentangy or any other scene I can imagine. I look forward to the day when I can find true rest and peace on the banks of that beautiful reality. It won't just be a pretty picture.
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