new day dawning

In light of yesterday's post, using water as a metaphor of the church, I began to give some thought to the purpose of water. Though it has many uses, what is the very basic purpose of water?
One doesn't have to do any research to answer this question. Without water there would be no life. Water is indispensable.
It is obvious that water does not exist for itself. It exists totally for the sake of others, be it humans, animals or plants. It has meaning and purpose only in serving others.
We live in such a self-centered society that anyone who lives their life for others on a continual basis becomes a life-giving source in this culture of death. They draw people to themselves, not because they want attention, but simply because people are attracted to life. It is a natural occurance that cannot be avoided.
Jesus was the ultimate example. He was just being himself, living his life in behalf of others, and people were attracted to him like bees to honey.
The church, being created in Christ's image, has the same spiritual genes. If it simply functions as it is created to function, it, too, will attract people just like Jesus did. It no longer will have to try to attract people, they will be attracted by the Spirit of Jesus so evident in the church.
However, documented evidence reveals that the opposite is true. Instead of people being attracted to the church, more and more are repulsed by the church. Does this suggest that the church is functioning in the same self-centered manner as the rest of society? Has the western church become too much like water that has been collected in containers, just setting there, becoming stagnant, smelly, and mosquito infested? It is not flowing, moving in service to others, therefore becoming a source of sickness and disease instead of the life-giving source it's created to be.
The church, like water, carries life to this world. It will do that in the form of God-created rivers, fountains, lakes and seas, not stagnating in man-made containers.