John 7:37–52, Living Waters Within

Verses 37b–38: “Jesus stood and cried aloud, ‘if anyone is thirsty let him come to me; whoever believes in me, let him drink.’ As Scripture says, ‘Streams of living water shall flow out from within him.’ He was speaking of the Spirit…”

How often we look outside ourselves for something to satisfy our thirst. It’s right to reach for literal water to satisfy our physical thirst. Yet, our emotional, mental, and spiritual thirsts require “water” not physical in nature. On the spiritual plane, the water needed is the Spirit—the Inner Divine that flows through us and sustains us. Imagine and feel the beauty of the image of “Streams of living water flow(ing) out from within (you).” The streams are the flow of Spirit coming through our connection to Self/God Within.

From an archetypal perspective (meaning as a universal template or blueprint), Jesus the Christ is the point of connection within psyche to the Divine Essence. The image of Jesus standing and crying aloud symbolizes the Self/God Within that is always present, calling our ego/self to stay connected and “drink.” The “drink” we receive is the Spirit that is our libido/life force.

Our impulses, affects, desires, sensations, longings, etc. carry the streams of living water that Spirit pours into our body and mind. The sensations, intuitions, feelings, desires, or thoughts that flow from Spirit may feel threatening to our self/ego and current way of being. The instinctive, reflexive nature may activate a fight or flight response. Body and mind may block the free flow of libido/Spirit with forgetfulness, confusion, numbness, apathy, or rigid patterns of muscular tension. Our ego/self may deny, dismiss, and rationalize away the promptings of the Self/God WIthin. We may cling to learned reasons and past experiences that negate or demonize the promptings of Spirit. Thus, we remain stagnate, dry and parched, even though the living waters are within.

We, with our ego/self, can consciously choose to receive and ingest, to relate to and integrate, and to act in sync with our libido/life force. When we are thirsty—feeling parched and dry in the realm of feelings, thoughts, or desires—we come to know Spirit as we are enlivened, energized from a deep, still place within. We have a standing invitation from the Self/God Within to drink, as Spirit is always present in the manifestations (sensations, intuitions, thoughts, feelings, etc.) of our libido/life force.

Inner Reflection
I invite you to meditate on the image of the Self/God Within calling you to move with your life force. Feel into the stream of living water within you. What are the trickles of excitement, anticipation, eagerness, interest, etc? Set an intention to be open to the Self/God Within that satisfies your thirst for life. Be courageous and leave the ways you walk “the procession of the living dead.” Step into the streams of living water of your Spirit.