The Good Story!

 

In the late 1990s, my brother would sometimes ask me to babysit my niece.  It was something I enjoyed.  One time, I decided we should watch a movie.  “Do you want to watch a movie today?”  I asked.  “Yes, yes, uncle,” she responded.  “And what would you like to see?’ I continued. “Mulan!” she responded.  “Again? But you’ve watched that film many times. Don’t you want to watch another movie?” I asked.  “But I like it.  I like Mulan.  It’s a good story.  I want to be like her.  She is strong, loving and she sings well.  I just love her story, uncle please…” she pleaded. Well, how can you say no? 

 

We all love good stories.  Children love to listen to good stories. How many times have we heard children say: “read it again, daddy, read it again mommy!” Kids love to hear stories over and over again.   

 

Stories are so formative and shape who we are.  They reveal our expectations of our world and visions of what it can be.  So often stories contain our dreams and hopes.  With any good story, we can imagine being a part of it.  There is a character you understand because that character may remind you of someone… you!  That, I think, makes for a good story.  

 

The story of the Samaritan woman at the well is a good story. Her story is your story.  Her story is my story. Her story is our story.  From her story springs something connecting every single one of us to our faith life. Her story is the drama of faith and from her example, there arises things that are common to everyone’s Christian faith. 

 

Just a question for you to ponder: How did you come to believe or decide that a Jewish carpenter who was crucified and died is your Lord and Savior? How were you able to adopt a way of thinking or set of values from the teachings of Christ that are so often contradictory to what the world teaches? How did you get there? 

 

To answer these questions, I believe we need to put ourselves by the well in the noonday sun with the woman and watch what happens.  Despite the taboos that kept men and women from speaking to each other in public, despite the animosity that existed between the Samaritans and the Jewish people, Jesus approaches the woman and says, “Give me a drink.”  

 

The drama of faith begins with Christ initiating, with God reaching out, with God extending the invitation.  If God did not do that, chances are we would never know who God is.  WE would not have known that God is nothing but mercy and love.    

 

God reaches out.  He is the one who makes the move not because the Samaritan woman was of high moral character or has a winning smile.  It is not so much who she is, but definitely because of who Jesus is. He is someone who thirsts for friendship with every single one of us, thus He reaches out.  

 

The same is true of our story.  Maybe it’s not by a well in the noonday sun, but God initiates.  God reaches out and not because of our high moral character or winning smile.  But because He wants to be friends with us and show us how important we are to Him.  And our response is very KEY.  When we receive that invitation what do we do with it?  When God reaches out in friendship how do we respond?  How do we want to be part of God’s life. 

 

The woman is hesitant at first.   She is unsure and responds cautiously, but by the time it’s done, the invitation God issues changes her life.  “If today, you hear God’s voice hardened not your heart.” So lovely is God’s generous invitation. 

 

And then Jesus does even more. He offers a gift!  What is this gift that He gives to the woman and offers to each one of us.  The gift is living water. What is this living water?  

 

For John’s community, living water is nothing less than life in the Spirit – life guided by the Holy Spirit, life with the Holy Spirit that dwells within us, shaping who we are.    It is God’s very own gift of the Spirit – the same Spirit that was present during creation, the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, it is the same Spirit of Pentecost that set the Apostles on fire – the same Spirit that dwells inside of us – that Holy Spirit.  

 

The question then becomes how do we respond to that?   

 

What springs from this good story of the woman at the well?  It is simply this.  Look at what the woman did.  She dropped her container and went back to town to tell others whom she had met.  She went out to share her experience and tell them her good story and the difference it made in her life. 

 

God invites, God takes the initiative, God empowers with the gift of the Holy Spirit.  

 

It’s a good story.  The Samaritan woman at the well – good story, my story, good story, your story, good story. Share it!