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News, August 2008World Water Expo opens in Zaragoza13th June. Tonight the 2008 World Expo opens in Zaragoza, with the theme Water and Development. Right on time, in a year marked by drought with no rain falling in Catalonia between May last year and 1st May this, followed by the region's record month for rainfall... today the weather has settled for the summer! Whether too little or too much, water is critical for life. And in a year of food shortages and in a month begun with the failure of the UN summit on food supply, the Expo again seems to have come at the right moment. In addition to all the other activities and events involving nations, NGOs and other groups, the evangelicals are very much involved in this event. The Expo is open for three months and expects between six and eight million visitors. (18th August: The BBC has just posted a video report on the Spanish water crisis. Read who's to blame and why Britons may suffer!) For evangelicals world-wide, it is clear that caring for the needy is a major part of our calling. And they are well represented among the groups doing development work in poorer nations. Several evangelical NGOs will be represented in the Evangelical pavilion, which has the title Agua Viva 2008 (Living Water 2008). In addition to giving publicity and getting support for these NGOs, the name of this pavilion clearly harks back to the words of Jesus, who said 'whoever drinks of the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I will give him will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life.' (John 4:14 NIV) Again in John7:37-8 he said: 'If a man is thirsty let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.' It is clear that the words of Jesus were mainly used in a spiritual, rather than material sense, referring to the blessings of knowing the risen Lord Jesus and the power of His Holy Spirit working within and through us. Much of the evangelical effort, involving not only the pavilion and events in the Expo, such as a mass 300 voice Gospel choir concert, but also 4 outreaches based on churches around the city for the three months, will emphasise the need of mankind for more than just physical sustenance, however essential this is for survival on earth. Links:
Official Expo web |