Our little tour group of 15 followed our tour guide, Franco, up towards the Arch of Titus. There, a mass of crowds and people were waiting to get into the grounds of the Roman Forum. So, we joined the chaos of waiting in the blazing hot sun as well.
It was very very hot! Probably mid-90’s.
Sweat rolled down our backs!
Franco pulled an empty water bottle out of his backpack and informed us that there was a public fountain just over to the side where we could fill our water bottles if we wanted.
He told us that, concerning all public fountains in Rome, the water is perfectly fine to drink. The water is brought from freshwater springs far away in the hills, travelling via the ancient Roman aqueducts (now underground). This water feeds all the public fountains in Rome.
Hubby and I had been wondering about that. Just the day before we had been hanging out at the Piazza del Papolo where there was a huge Egyptian obelisk, with four lion-fountains on each corner.
As hubby and I had sat there we were surprised to see a local guy ride up on his bicycle, climb up onto the fountain, then proceed to fill his water bottle up from the water spraying out of the lion’s mouth. He downed his water bottle and filled it up again.
He did this a couple more times. Hubby and I were amazed that this guy was drinking so freely from a public fountain.
As we stood there in the blazing hot sun with Franco, it was reassuring to know that the water in all the public fountains was fresh water, coming via ancient aqueducts underground. Though I have to say, knowing this was not enough to convince me to refill my own water bottle from the public fountain.
Franco stepped out of line for a moment to refill his own water bottle.
Here you can see us waiting in the mass of people … and if you look to the left of the photo, just behind the polka dot umbrella, you can just barely see the fountain with someone getting ready to fill their water bottle.
(By the way, can you spot Franco in his bright red shirt with our group sign 2A?)
After filling up his water bottle, Franco rejoined us in line and gave us a grave warning not to buy the water bottles which the vendors were selling. All around the Colosseum and up and down the line where we were waiting, vendors were walking back and forth with fresh cold bottles of water for sale.
You could tell they were cold because the condensation was all over the outside of the bottles. They looked so refreshing.
If you were an unwitting traveler, not at all prepared for the heat of Rome, and weary with heat exhaustion and thirst … of course you would buy a fresh cold bottle of water from the vendors.
Franco informed us that he has seen these very same vendors collecting empty water bottles out of garbage cans. Then they go to the public fountains and fill them up with water. Then they sell them to unsuspecting tourists who are parched with thirst.
The thought of this was horrifying! And disgusting!
Be careful what water you drink!
In John 4:4-30 we read the account of Jesus meeting a woman at a well in Samaria and having a conversation about water to drink. In this conversation Jesus states that he himself is Living Water.
“Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” – John 4:14
Just like Rome is exceedingly hot, so also life itself can be “hot” and draining. It’s all we can do to make it through each day. We find our soul “parched” and weary. We need water.
We need “water” for our soul.
Jesus Christ alone is the pure Living Water which will provide refreshing for our soul.
But just like there were vendors trying to sell water bottles, which had been collected out of garbage cans and filled with water from public fountains … so too in life there are a lot of spiritualities and belief systems which try to sell us their “water.”
At first glance what they have to offer our soul looks so refreshing. It looks like it will satisfy the “thirst” and the parched longing we have deep down within.
But it is a fake. It is a counterfeit. It is polluted.
Only Jesus Christ is the pure Living Water which will satisfy our soul and quench the parched thirst we have deep down within us.
Be careful what “water” you drink!
Don’t take just any “water bottle” offered to you.
