Living Water

Is water really living? Yes! In addition to the Bible using “living water” as a metaphor for the life brought about by remaining near water, earth’s waters—both the salty and the fresh—contain multitudes of life. “In the sunlit waters of our ocean’s surface, about a million microscopic organisms are living their lives in every single drop. They take in what they need to live, spit out what they don’t, reproduce, and die. They may get eaten, starve to death, or become infected by viruses and explode all over the place. Some battle each other for resources, while others work together and depend on each other. Drops of seawater may be lacking in romance and gunfights, but they house a wealth of ongoing dramatic tales of microscopic life and survival” (Jamie Becker, “A Drop in the Ocean Is Teeming with Life: Scientist Reveal Hidden Relationships among Marine Microbes,” OCEANUS, October 20, 2011, https://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/feature/a-drop-in-the-ocean-is-teeming-with-life/). Additionally, moving water is usually cleaner than stagnant water because “there are fewer opportunities for microorganisms to aggregate and thrive. In addition to this, flowing water is usually colder than a stagnant body of water, as it is more difficult for other factors to alter its temperature. Colder water is a less conducive environment for microorganisms as it provides fewer nutrients. Finally, running water originates in the spring, which means it had to go through various rocks and minerals underground, which, in turn, means that it has gone through a process of filtration as well as some mineral enrichment” (“Is Running Water Cleaner than Still Water,” Outdoor Is Home, May 24, 2021, https://outdoorishome.com/is-running-water-cleaner/).