Reflections on Water

09 Aug 2010

Bryden Black balances the duties of being a full time farmer on one hand, and an assisting priest at St Christopher’s in Avonhead on the other. Bryden offers reflections of how one woman’s life was changed forever by water talk.

“Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink!” So runs the old child’s joke about a small boat adrift in the ocean with a bunch of castaways on board. Water features prominently, too, in many biblical stories – from the creation of the world out of the chaotic waters and the great flood in Genesis, to Jesus’ baptism by John and his first miracle of water into wine. Indeed, H2O flows from many pages within Scripture, and little wonder, given that all life itself depends upon it.

The story of the Samaritan woman at the well of Sychar in John 4 captures some of these precious elements. Jesus is waiting by the ancient well of Jacob, as his disciples go to town to grab lunch. It’s midday; it’s hot; the isolated, alienated woman comes when few folk would be around; Jesus, typically, takes the initiative and strikes up a conversation – and asks for a drink. But quickly the subject matter moves beyond small talk. Water becomes the metaphor for something more….

“It was about noon.” This is more than a mere time check. John is contrasting this current hour of daylight with Jesus’ previous encounter with Nicodemus, which occurred in the dark of night. Nicodemus didn’t get what Jesus was on about. He was left in the dark, so to speak. But this most unlikely Samaritan woman, in the bright light of noonday, begins to suspect there is more to this Jesus chap than meets the eye. But, what is it? And who is he?

Once more the level to which we, via the Samaritan woman, have to go to answer those questions depends upon whether we will play along with the story. Jacob versus Jesus; buckets versus springs; daily visits to stagnant wells versus eternal fountains deep within our very beings. All this within the story should help us as the reader to ‘get it’ as well.

As the fly on the wall of this conversation, we can react in two ways. Like the woman, we can attempt to sidestep the call of Jesus’ words by engaging in theological wrangling. Or we can gulp and surrender our previous identity in order to “come and see” what he is talking about: the thirst-quenching eternal life Jesus has come to offer the world – even to a Samaritan woman. Jesus invites and enables other people to enter into his own “worship of the Father.” He does this by sharing the same “Spirit of truth” with them.

“Water, water everywhere, welling up to quench any and every thirst, from the fountain of everlasting life!” Eternal Life is nothing but our incorporation into the Fullness of Life among Father, Son and Holy Spirit, if only we will “come and see.”

Words: Bryden Black