Jesus takes a risk and walks through Samaria. It is considered enemy territory. He then takes an additional risk, engaging with a woman at a well. Jesus’ disciples interpret his behavior as collusion with an enemy, they “were amazed that he was talking with a woman” and certainly a Samaritan. Jesus is simply, but intentionally, asking her a question. Will she quench his thirst after a long trip through the desert? The woman is like the disciples, also grasping the absurdity of engagement with an enemy saying, “How can you, a Jew, ask me a Samaritan woman, for a drink.” Jesus knows it is not so absurd a thing to engage with those who are different from us. It is not even so absurd a thing to engage with those branded the enemy. Doing so is precisely how we move from being enemies to being friends.
In a worldly culture too quick with enemy making, Jesus shows us how to make a friend. In his encounters, Jesus shows an openness to receiving others as brother, sister, child of God. Drawing people into communion results in a lessening if not ultimately an abandonment of past identifications that separated us from others. In communion, we abandon notions of ‘my side’ or ‘my cause’ that work against others. We abandon the notion that our side consists of all virtuous people and the other side is rife with disreputable types. That enemy perspective may have been held by the villagers and thus drove the Samaritan woman to a well at mid-day, in the heat of the sun, isolating her. It is possible she has been abandoned by people. She would have remained abandoned until another person treated her not as an enemy but extended to her companionship. In doing so she becomes another Christ; she shares the Good News. To engage with any enemy, even a devilish one, need not be an act of collusion; not so long as the compassionate heart we extend to them is matched with the strong spine we maintain in us. How is this at all possible with a devilish sociopath like Trump, a Neo-Nazi like Bannon, a Biblical Fascist like Pence and their different acolytes who populate our lives? It is possible when we risk lovign engagement. If our love does not extend to such persons then their hate will likely extend to us. They will change us so that we will hate like they hate. We will become willing to harm them and their supporters because we label them the enemy. Their devilish actions must make us not more closed of heart but more strong of spine so as to be Christ for them.
“At Jacob’s well a mille of teardrops dried: without repenting of a sin she found a spring of water welling up inside to life eternal and profound, Where Jesus makes his glory known: To scamps And junkies, cons and mental patients, drunks with dogs unloved in migrant squatters’ camps, Samaritans in lousy shelter bunks – yet stands sunk in thought as deep as taproot when empires implode and dynasts crash hell because they were too blanched to kiss the foot of one aqua cool saint by a blue well who found the living water in her soul and showered down a marigold-spiked knoll.” (The Samaritan Woman – James Mullaney)
Prayer: Holy Spirit, help me live with a compassionate heart and a strong spine.
Question: “The love of God is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” – into whom do I need to pour the love of God?
March 19, 2017 Gospel John 4:5-42 3rd Sunday of Lent