In this Gospel reading, Jesus is
taking a shortcut to Galilee. He and the disciples with him are in a part of
the country where no respectable Jew would usually travel let alone strike up a
conversation with one of those people, who is, of all things, also
a woman! When the Jews returned from exile in Babylon, four centuries prior to
this encounter, they refused to allow the Samaritans to participate in the
rebuilding of Jerusalem and particularly the Temple. For the Samaritans, the
Temple separated and centralized the worship of God in Jerusalem which gave
rise to the woman’s comment to Jesus about the Samaritan worship of God on
their own mountain. Also, the Jews would neither eat nor drink with Samaritans
– it was likely, in part, because of the Jewish purity laws although we don't
know all the issues that divided them. This passage highlights Jesus'
willingness to have this conversation and to tell of the coming time when
worship for all will be very different for the true believers, that worship of
God is not exclusive to a time, place, or people. It also underscores many of
the issues of the other in our current life and times.
Differences in
culture, dress, religion, food and drink, accents, even among those of our own
nation – and foremost, skin color – separate us, narrowing our human
experiences, creating deep and ancient, or at least very old prejudices, handed
down through generations with little explanation or understanding of the roots
of the conflict. The “Hatfields and McCoys*” of life
and legend in our land, are just one example. Left unchecked and re-evaluated,
layers of mistrust continue to deepen and solidify, turn to un-examined hate,
and all too often, violence. Us vs. Them, is a prevailing human issue – if
you're one of them you cannot be one of us. All
too often we can't – or rather won’t – discuss the whys and
wherefores of our opinions and deeply held beliefs. Understanding each other
might taint what we've been taught to believe by those we accept as
authoritative. Our beliefs have been sustained and enhanced by the continual
distraction, misinformation, and propaganda from those who profit from our
divisions. And, whether we admit it or not, many of us don’t like facts to
get in the way of what we want to believe. Thinking differently about something
I thought was undisputed is very uncomfortable, even scary.
WWYD? What Would You Do
– if you were desperately thirsty in a place you didn't feel you belonged in,
or your car broke down in a strange location, or you witnessed someone unlike
yourself being harassed or worse? How have we fostered the isolating of
ourselves and the marginalizing of others by what we have done and
by what we have left undone? ** Possibly
in the communal desert of our own making, we falsely believe that it keeps us being
us and them away from us which makes everything better for us.
Great logic? I regularly have to stop and examine my reactions and the
in-my-head responses to think and wonder why I am for it or against it,
whatever it is and to whom it is directed, as
well as who I accept as my authority on the matter and why.
Lent is
a moment to think about our desert moments in life. Is God in Jesus my Living
Water for consolation, hope, compassion, and love of my neighbor as if s/he/they are myself, or just the One I blame and complain to? Jesus told the Samaritan
woman that God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship
in spirit and truth.
This is a Well that runs
deep. How deeply are we each searching to bring up to our conscious thoughts
and acts the living water, the spirit and truth of God, the
Creator of ALL life in its multitude of shapes, forms, cultures, colors,
genders, genomes, and faiths. How often do we say grace yet hate the neighbors –
you know, the ones who post opposite political views on Facebook or bumper
stickers, attend a different church, mosque, temple, synagogue, or none at all?
Jesus tells the Samaritan woman first before all others that
he is the Messiah. She believes him. Do we? Time for us each to dig deep. Our
love of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is only as deep as our spiritual wells. Is my Well enough?
*“The Hatfields and McCoys,” A true American family feud with
deadly consequences for both sides has become a metaphor to describe great and volatile
conflicts between neighbors or groups. Click here to see more: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hatfields-and-McCoys
**from the
Confession in the US Book of Common Prayer, pg 360, emphasis added
