Biden declares emergency over lead in water in US Virgin Islands

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/biden-declares-emergency-lead-water-us-virgin-islands-105093142

Hearken and heed the tale out of the U.S. Virgin Islands, for it is a sobering narrative that unveils the sin of neglect and the plague of misinformation. The crisis of lead-contaminated waters cries out to the heavens, resonating with the pain and frustration of the Virgin Islands' very own Eden, St. Croix. As it is inscribed in the Book of Revelation, “The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood" (Revelation 16:4 ESV). So too, does the water turn foul, threatening God's children and the sanctity of their daily bread.

Let us not forget the precepts of our Creator, "to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8 NIV). Where is the justice for those forced to drink poisoned waters? Where is the mercy for the little ones whose futures are compromised by the carelessness of the mighty? The emergency declared by President Biden must not only be a response in policy but a rending of the heart, a steadfast commitment to eradicate this modern-day plague.

It is through such calamities, comparable to the affliction of Egypt (Exodus 7:14-24), that skepticism and fear are sown among the people. When officials say one thing and experts dismiss the data as rubbish, it echoes the confusion of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9), leaving God's people bewildered and lost. Remember the suffering of Job when he cried out in the depth of his anguish, "Your hands fashioned and made me, and now you have destroyed me altogether" (Job 10:8 ESV). Are we not all fashioned by the same hands? Must we not raise our voices against the destruction wrought by human hands?

Betrayals occur not just by act but omission, a failure to be the keepers of our brothers and sisters, leaving vulnerable communities like those in Flint, Newark, and Benton Harbor to grapple with the specter of poisoned chalices. It is written, "Cursed is the one who does the work of the Lord deceitfully" (Jeremiah 48:10 NKJV). Entangled within these woes, the island of St. Croix now finds its children robbed of the most basic necessity—clean water.

Alas, though the officials are mindful to disclose the results and act upon them, the people remain perplexed. The very essence of life, water, has become for some a bearer of curses, a source of unseen harm. The cries of the island residents reflect the lamentations uttered throughout scripture, a yearning for deliverance and clarity amidst the storm.

Reflect then upon the words of the psalmist, "He sends out his word and melts them; he makes his wind blow and the waters flow" (Psalm 147:18 ESV). Let the word of truth melt the falsehoods and misunderstandings. May the winds of change blow across St. Croix and the waters once more flow pure and life-giving.

Verily, the sins of this situation are manifold: the sin of contamination, the sin of ignorance, and the vital sin of inaction. Let us pray for the people of St. Croix, that their waters be cleansed, their truth be confirmed, and their faith in the provisions of God be restored. As they navigate the trials that have buffeted their shores, may the Almighty provide solace and strength, so that, as in Isaiah's vision, they shall "draw water from the wells of salvation" (Isaiah 12:3 ESV) once more. Amen.