LOOKING BEYOND WHAT SEPARATES
If we are thirsty, what keeps us from this living water? Or, as someone put it, what keeps us from turning on the tap? The story of the woman at the well could have gone a different way, if either Jesus or the woman were not willing to overlook the differences between them. We resist God’s grace when we are not willing to look beyond what separates us from other people. When we are not willing to look beyond our prejudices, our assumptions, our first impressions, our comfort zones, our ego needs for status through our education, or income level or achievements or whatever. We also may miss the life-giving encounter if we are unwilling to share resources. We can assume that the woman in her mercy gave Jesus a drink, and look at all that happened next. We also may miss the experience of living water flowing over us if we are reluctant to engage in conversation about our faith and our doubts, or we are unable to meet another with non-judgmental love. As Mother Teresa has said, “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”
In the story about the Samaritan women, we find this living water of God’s grace as we let go of some of our resistances, open ourselves to new experiences, and as we seek God in prayer and in worship, and in personal encounter with others. An important facet of this story of the Samaritan woman is that a personal encounter between Jesus and the woman turns into a communal event. Or, as the last verse from one anthem goes, “Since now I am in grace immersed, set free, forgiven, whole, I share with those who are athirst…”
