Most of us who grew up in the 80s and 90s can recall television commercials that dealt with thirst. Gatorade promised to quench that deep down body thirst, the soft drink Sprite commanded us to obey our thirst, and Coca-Cola once advertised itself as the best friend thirst ever had.
Thirst has been a topic of discussion and concern throughout human history. From Ethiopia’s droughts to America’s dust bowls, people in all regions of the world have been affected by a diminished supply of water. In scripture, the thirsty Israelites quarreled with Moses and demanded he give them water. In the gospel of Luke, a rich man who was in Hell, called out to Abraham and begged him to send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and use it to cool his tongue, and while Jesus hung on the cross, one of the few statements He made was just two simple words: I thirst.
In today’s world, most people don’t give a second thought as to how or where they can extinguish their thirst. Water bottles are commonplace and most schools allow students to have them placed at their desks, in case they become thirsty throughout the day. Workplace conversations often take place around the water cooler and many businesses offer beverages to their customers, while they’re waiting for service, and some type of beverage is ordered at a drive-thru window every second of every day.
However, if we look back in recent history, we’ll discover that quenching one’s thirst by simply turning on a faucet wasn't always the best remedy. In 2014, the water supply to the entire city of Flint, Michigan was contaminated with chemicals that caused elevated lead levels in its children and contributed to the third largest outbreak of Legionnaires disease in U.S. history. The crisis in Flint gained worldwide attention and led to a full-scale investigation that eventually brought charges against many of the city’s officials. Unfortunately, and to the detriment of nine children, the environmental injustice that occurred in Mansfield’s Little Kentucky neighborhood went basically unnoticed for over seventy years.
Comments