Quote of the day: 7 July

It’s a great question! Here is the French original: “Quand je serai au Ciel et que je verrai Jésus occupé à parler avec quelqu’un, vite j’irai ouvrir les robinets et toute la terre aura de l’eau, et aussitôt que Jésus se tournera je fermerai vite, je m’en irai par là et il ne saura pas qu’on a ouvert…” I can see in my mind’s eye the arid land of Bethlehem, where a garden needs an incredible amount of irrigation to produce anything. Mariam knew the tremendous amount of work required to draw water from a well in order to water gardens, or from water taps where there was plumbing of some sort. The aridity of the Holy Land versus the verdant scenes in the Pyrenees of France must have been quite a contrast for Mariam, not to mention her experiences in India. There is no date attached to this notebook. Was she wrestling with constructions details at the time? Were the autumn rains late to begin in Palestine? Based on her comment, I think it’s safe to say that this remark comes from from the period when she was in Palestine, not in France or India, where rain seems abundant. I think we can take the statement more or less at face value, as a playful remark by a simple soul who wishes that the whole world could have all the water it needs (and then some), when she is of the impression that it’s God’s will that many parts of the world should be dry as a bone. I know that I’m “thinking out loud” in this reply, but your question deserves some thought!