John 5:1-9
Wade in the water
Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water
God's gonna trouble the water
“God’s gonna trouble the Water” Have you listened to the spiritual “Wade in the Water” and wondered what this line from the refrain meant? It is a reference to our scripture lesson for today from John 5. People believed they could find healing in the pool when it bubbled up. The image of water in spirituals suggests “the constantly moving currents and uncertainties of life here on earth and the creative power of God that is displayed in nature as well as the holy waters of baptism.”1
It is said that Harriet Tubman used the powerful words of “Wade in the Water” to warn slaves on the run, escaping their captors, that danger was near. It was a signal for them to literally get into the water where the dogs in pursuit would lose their scent. The water was a place of safety for those seeking freedom. The spiritual says that God was in the water, troubling it, making something happen. For the slaves it was a miraculous happening, giving them the hope that they could be free.
We wade in the waters of our baptisms, a place of safety. The Baptismal Service closes with the words, “Child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.” God is in our baptismal water, troubling it and making miraculous things happen. In it, we are assured that what Jesus did on the cross frees us from sin for time and eternity.
Listen:
Wade in the Water https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5D0_0u8OUg
Questions for Reflection:
- “The refrain [of Wade in the Water] alludes to the sick man at the pool of Bethzatha, where in John 5:4 the angel stirs up the water. This verse is not in all the ancient texts, but the slaves obviously had it and assumed God could still be trusted to do the troubling….Structured in a call-and-response fashion, the assembly keeps affirming that ‘God’s a-goin’-a trouble the water.’ It also keeps coming back in the refrain to the imperative to ‘wade in the water,’ on the assumption that there is ample wetness and struggle, always with the promise that God rescues from drowning and brings life from death and freedom from bondage.”2
- How have you experienced “ample wetness and struggle” as you journey the waters of life? How has God been present with you during these times?
Prayer:
Miraculous God, be with us as we face dangers in our lives. Keep us safe in the lifegiving water of baptism, troubling the waters with the miraculous word that we are marked with the cross of Christ forever. Amen.
1. Hansen, Marsha. My Soul is a Witness. (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing, 2006); pg. 67-68.
2. Westermeyer, Paul. “Wade in the Water” Hymnal Companion: Evangelical Lutheran Worship. (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 2010.) pg. 285-286.
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