Meeting of the Waters - Two become one

 

Jesus said, “Moses wrote this command only as a concession to your hardhearted ways. In the original creation, God made male and female to be together. Because of this, a man leaves father and mother, and in marriage he becomes one flesh with a woman—no longer two individuals, but forming a new unity. Because God created this organic union of the two sexes, no one should desecrate his art by cutting them apart.” Mark 10: 5-8

Meeting of the Waters - Manaus, Brazil

Two shall become one - no longer two, but one.

I wrote about the very unusual phenomenon of "The Meeting of the Waters" in my reflections about our time in Brazil.  It is an image I have not been able to shake. Honestly, in the moment, cruising from the dark waters of the Rio Negro into the sandy colors of the Rio Solimoes, was interesting, but underwhelming. 

However, the thought of two rivers, with unique chemical properties, colliding and flowing side by side, running parallel for more than six miles, before mixing together, provides us with a great illustration that I cannot shake. 

The Rio Negro (Black River) originates in Columbia and flows very slowly through the surrounding dense jungles, collecting decaying organic matter. The rivers murky waters are rich with nutrients and its warm waters supports a unique ecosystem of fish and plants. 

The Rio Solimoes is much different. The river has it beginning high up in the Andes Mountains to the west and flows more rapidly. It carries sediment from the mountains and takes on a sandy color. The temperature of the Solimoes flows twelve to fifteen degrees colder than the Rio Negro. 

Two rivers, so different, that meet but do not immediately blend together. Eventually, over time and distance, they do mix.  They do come together to form a new river with one blended chemistry. Each taking on properties of the other. Together they form the largest river on the planet - the Amazon River. This amazing river supplies an estimated 20% of the fresh water into the world's oceans. 

I like to think that neither river completely loses its unique properties. Perhaps they hang on to their uniqueness in some fashion. If you will, with the sum of the parts, you kind of get the best of both. One plus one equals better. 

The Meeting of the Waters - Manaus Central Plaza

In the city of Manaus, the importance of the meeting of the waters runs deep. You can find it depicted in the architecture of the turn of the century buildings, on the wood flooring in the Teatro and nearby San Sabastian Church, and in the magnificent central plaza. 

I suspect this symbolizes two diverse and unique cultures coming together. The indigenous culture that existed undisturbed for many centuries and the industrialized European community that flocked to the region, in gold rush fashion, to harvest profit from rubber trees. As the auto industry exploded onto the scene in the early 1900's, the need for rubber to make tires fueled an influx of people.  The greatest source of rubber in the world was just up the rivers from Manaus. 

In Manaus, there was a collision of two very different cultures. Like the two rivers, each culture had very unique qualities and values. Decade after decade these two cultures evolved and blended together. Today a city of two million people lives on the shores of Rio Negro. 

And Two Shall Become One. 

Please permit me to make the leap from the meeting of the waters to the beautiful union of a man and woman as they begin life together in Holy Matrimony. As I witnessed Jordan and Eliana committing themselves to life together, I had a fleeting thought of the meeting of the waters. Two people, created uniquely, raised in vastly different cultures, coming together as one.  Gods plan for their lives, laid out long before this wedding day, brought them together. 

Now their lives flow side by side. Their love for one another holding them together and keeping them flowing the same direction. Over time, and life's ups and downs, they will continue to grow together into one. Mixing and blending. Adapting to the pace of life together. Neither losing the traits that make them individually unique, but at the same time becoming a new creation. 

Once the two rivers mix and blend together, it is impossible to separate them. They are forever one. A new creation. They will remain that way until they pour themselves in to the sea, there final resting place. I think that is at the essence of what Jesus meant in the context of marriage when He said, "The two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."   

In Marriage, it usually does take time and intentionality to learn to exist as one. It is an ongoing process of getting to know one another at an intimate level. I believe God wants us to hang on to some of our unique qualities. The things that make you, you, and makes me, me. The trick becomes hanging onto your unique qualities and learning to adapt them to meet the needs of another.  

When God joins two people together in marriage, a new and beautiful creation emerges. God the creator, has done it again! For some it is an effortless union. It feels natural. For most couples, if people are honest, it takes some getting used to. When the I and me, becomes we and us, it can feel awkward at first. 

In my experience, after almost 45 years of marriage, I cannot imagine not having Maurina beside me. She is a part of me, just as I am a part of her. We still maintain our individuality, but together we are stronger as we face life's joys and challenges. 

Two rivers, so different, joining to make something bigger and more powerful. Two people, beautifully and uniquely created, uniting together into a wonderful new creation. God is so amazing and so good! 

As it is written in Ecclesiastes, "And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken".  And that is a blog for another day.