John 4:5-42
The woman at the well. This is all we know her as. She has no name, but when we say the woman at the well we know who she is. The one Jesus talks to in John. Her gender and her race are what marks her all the way through this encounter. Even the disciples point out he is speaking to a woman. Maybe it's because it's the middle of the day. It is strange the woman is alone in getting her water. This marks her too.
Just as baptism marks us, just as Jesus talks about the waters which will give eternally. Just as this woman is marked by her gender and the audaciousness of Jesus talk to her. Things are not what they seem though. Jesus tells her about living water, something which comes free and endless. She thinks this is tangible water. It isn't. It is a wellspring from within. For her it is in being a known woman in which she finds the living water. Jesus knows her. Knows her well enough to know everything about her. The good, the bad, everything. This is not for condemnation though it is for her to know him. To know Jesus is the source of living. This is life abundant.
Nothing is as it seems these days. Schools are closing, places of worship, meeting together all are shaping our lives a little differently because of COVID 19. The thing we can't remove is who we are as a people of faith. We are living into a different world, but God is still there offering us living water. Some part that will keep us looking into how we are to see the unseen. Know we are still marked and claimed as Christ's own.
The woman went to the well alone, without the other women in the village because she was marked as that kind of woman. Yet after her encounter with Jesus she is the one who tells the whole village how she is known deep down and loved. Even when we become isolated, out of touch physically with others, we are still deeply known and loved. As we are deeply known and loved we need to remember to reach out. Just as Jesus did to this woman who shows up at the well alone.
We can still call, write notes, talk to each other via skype. We need to remember those who others might forget and make sure they have the necessities to make it through this time. Distancing does not mean total isolation. The town distances themselves from the woman and then they come together as a community because of her. We can be the ones who bring our communities together still in these days.
I don't know what these next days will look like. I do know it is just a different way of living than what we are used to. I do know that even though this isn't the way we are normally there are things we can still do to reach out to one another and make the distance close. It is possible because of this woman and Jesus' example.
The woman at the well. This is all we know her as. She has no name, but when we say the woman at the well we know who she is. The one Jesus talks to in John. Her gender and her race are what marks her all the way through this encounter. Even the disciples point out he is speaking to a woman. Maybe it's because it's the middle of the day. It is strange the woman is alone in getting her water. This marks her too.
Just as baptism marks us, just as Jesus talks about the waters which will give eternally. Just as this woman is marked by her gender and the audaciousness of Jesus talk to her. Things are not what they seem though. Jesus tells her about living water, something which comes free and endless. She thinks this is tangible water. It isn't. It is a wellspring from within. For her it is in being a known woman in which she finds the living water. Jesus knows her. Knows her well enough to know everything about her. The good, the bad, everything. This is not for condemnation though it is for her to know him. To know Jesus is the source of living. This is life abundant.
Nothing is as it seems these days. Schools are closing, places of worship, meeting together all are shaping our lives a little differently because of COVID 19. The thing we can't remove is who we are as a people of faith. We are living into a different world, but God is still there offering us living water. Some part that will keep us looking into how we are to see the unseen. Know we are still marked and claimed as Christ's own.
The woman went to the well alone, without the other women in the village because she was marked as that kind of woman. Yet after her encounter with Jesus she is the one who tells the whole village how she is known deep down and loved. Even when we become isolated, out of touch physically with others, we are still deeply known and loved. As we are deeply known and loved we need to remember to reach out. Just as Jesus did to this woman who shows up at the well alone.
We can still call, write notes, talk to each other via skype. We need to remember those who others might forget and make sure they have the necessities to make it through this time. Distancing does not mean total isolation. The town distances themselves from the woman and then they come together as a community because of her. We can be the ones who bring our communities together still in these days.
I don't know what these next days will look like. I do know it is just a different way of living than what we are used to. I do know that even though this isn't the way we are normally there are things we can still do to reach out to one another and make the distance close. It is possible because of this woman and Jesus' example.
Comments
Post a Comment