Lent - Day 13 ( That Samaritan woman )

       It's really interesting being gay. For one thing, you wind up 'coming out' over, and over, and over, every day, without fail. I was standing by the pickleball courts waiting for my league game to start and asked a man if he'd like to join me for some warm ups on the court. He said yes. Very pleasant, knocking the ball back and forth. The man asks me, "Does your wife play too?". I feel compelled to say, "no, but my husband does". Then comes the reaction. It's true with everyone. A look of surprise, a look of disdain, shock or simply, 'that's cool'.  Like Forrest Gump says , 'ya never know what yur gonna get'.

        Of course things are quite a bit better these days if you happen to be gay. The days are fading a bit for my elders that basically had to hide who they were for their entire lives. The reaction back in the day would have been horrible. It still is for some kids. Even family can be cruel but I can't help but look at today's passage from John and think of how we judge and the surprise even the disciples had at Jesus talking to a woman ! I know, A WOMAN! wait, not just a woman but a SAMARITAN WOMAN!  Yikes!

        If this is an example to us and if we are to emulate Jesus, how should we handle meeting people that we perhaps already have decided are sinners, unsaved and not worthy of salvation? Perhaps, already condemned in our eyes. The woman at the well did not come with the other woman early in the morning. It was noontime. The heat of the noon day desert sun is not the best time to draw water and carry a heavy jar back home. No this woman was considered a sinner even by her own people and her own people ( the Samaritans ) were already looked down upon by the Jewish community. So this woman at the well was lower than the lower - 3 strikes. Sinner, woman, Samaritan. How could Jesus possibly speak with her, converse with her and speak to her as an equal?  Was she worthy of a discussion or even simply being acknowledged?

        I am sure we all have our own versions of 'the Samaritan woman', someone who has three strikes. For me, I was a Roman Catholic cleric, I am gay and I married a Jewish man.  I too may be viewed as someone with three strikes. Yet Jesus speaks with me, loves me and calls me to love unabashed. Love myself, love my husband, love my neighbor, love mankind, love our world. 

       I'm always coming out as I say. I wonder how I react to people when they 'come out' to me in the myriad ways in which we can. Are you an atheist? a Muslim? A Republican? Perhaps you are a polyamorous non-gender specific person?  How do I react to  one of God's beloved that does not measure up to some man made norm?  How do you react?

       May we all react and love as Jesus did, with open arms, all loving. We pray.

John 4:27-42

 Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, ‘What do you want?’ or, ‘Why are you speaking with her?’ Then the woman left her water-jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, ‘Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?’ They left the city and were on their way to him.

 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’ But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’ So the disciples said to one another, ‘Surely no one has brought him something to eat?’ Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, “Four months more, then comes the harvest”? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, “One sows and another reaps.” I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour.’

 Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I have ever done.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there for two days. And many more believed because of his word.They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Saviour of the world.’