Bracebridge has been in the news – a lot! Everytime I have turned on the radio over the last few days I have heard news reports about the water level. And it is newsworthy. The river is raging and the Bracebridge Falls are a turbulent, high powered force of water the likes of which the town hasn’t seen in decades. Three people I spoke to yesterday spent the weekend putting sandbags around their house.The common question on the street is, “Are you flooded?” We are not flooded nor is our street. I admit I have taken the long way home a couple of times to get a look at the river and see how the water is pushing its way through town.
Water is an important symbol in all religions. In Christianity the power of water is isgnificant in many of the Hebrew scriptures (think Noah, Moses, Jonah) and in the Greek scriptures Jesus began his ministry by being plunged into the River Jordan by his cousin John. Much of Jesus actually ministry happened around the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee. Water is seen as a reminder of God’s love, a source of purification, a refreshment, and a sign of new life.
Most often, in our town water is a the centre of attraction. People come to cottage country to enjoy the river and lakes through swimming, boating, canoeing & kayaking. The Falls are the centre of our town and the place that people walk to in order to relax and enjoy their beauty. This week water, in our little town, water has become a threat and something to be feared. Showing, I think that everything in this marvelous, created world has the power both for destruction and restoration. Thankfully, for most of our experience it is restorative.
