Down by the riverside ...

Today I had breakfast with my sister and her husband on the balcony of their new apartment.  So peaceful, looking out over the Brisbane river as the City Cats scampered by and the Sunday morning walkers strolled, power walked and jogged along the riverside pathway.

Two other sisters also have apartments that look out on the same river, while the remaining one has chosen ocean views on the Sunshine Coast.    What is is that draws us to live out our later years watching the river flow by?

Louis Armstrong made famous the old spiritual Down by the Riverside.

        Gonna lay down my sleepy head        Down by the riverside;
        Gonna lay down my burden
        Down by the riverside.

The lyrics were quite eschatological:
        Gonna try on my long white robe
        Gonna try on my starry crown
        Gonna put on my golden shoes
        Gonna talk with the Prince of Peace
        Gonna shake hands around the world
        Gonna cross the river Jordan
        Gonna climb upon that mountain
        Gonna climb the road to heaven

 Another noted black musician, Paul Robeson, is remembered for his signature song Ol' Man River which also references the Jordan and looks forward to the Judgement Day.

        Let me go 'way from the Mississippi,
        Let me go 'way from de white man boss;
        Show me dat stream called de river Jordan,
        Dat's de ol' stream dat I long to cross.

The singer reflects on the burdens of life:

        Ah, gits weary
        An' sick of tryin'
        Ah'm tired of livin'
        An' skeered of dyin'.

Somehow he sees an end to it all being bound to the river

        Dat ol' man river,
        He mus'know sumpin'
        But don't say nuthin'
        He jes' keeps rollin'
        He keeps on rollin' along.

Doubtless these old southern spirituals are very mindful of the biblical rivers that feature so strongly not only in Israel's history but also in its heavenly vision.

The Psalmist tells us of the exiles longing for home:

        Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept as we thought of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is nowhere near a river, sitting atop a desert hill. But Ezekiel has a vision of a heavenly Temple that will arise there one day, from which will flow a river giving life and peace to the arid lands around.  The captives long for that day when the river of slavery will be replaced by the river of freedom.

John updates this vision in the Book of Revelation:

        Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, 

        clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Which brings us back again to the Jordan, where Jesus was baptised.  The symbolism of the river water as cleansing and life-giving is clear, and embraces our theology of baptism in the Christian Church. And it's end-time significance is simultaneously celebrated.  By happy coincidence, the Communion song at Mass today was Come to the Waters !  And next weekend we celebrate Riverfire which draws many thousands of people to the waters' edge to see the parade of illuminated boats and the fireworks -- the river gives joy and community.

So maybe some of all that is at work in us when we look to retire to an apartment with river views. There we can draw on the refreshment and freedom that even a muddy stream can offer us, as we watch at the same time the life it draws to itself.

There are several songs titled The River of Life.  I like this one.

        There's a river of life flowing out of me,
        Makes the lame to walk and the blind to see.
        Open prison door sets the captive free,
        There's a river of life flowing out of me