A Moment at the Well

A Moment at the Well

I had an experience at “the well” recently (John chapter 4).

A woman had called our ministry in an effort to obtain financial assistance with her home fuel oil expense. After listening to her story of domestic abuse, events in court, and encounters with bill collectors, I agreed to meet with her at her home. I prefer to go to someone’s dwelling when considering requests for aid like this. You can discern so much more from stepping into a living space and talking with a person. Entering into a relationship, no matter how slight, is essential to bringing the Love of Jesus to someone.

This woman’s home was a considerable distance “back in the hills”. Before embarking on my journey I did my normal amount of investigation. I spoke with the Community Action Group who had referred her, being assured that they had done what they could to help. I then telephoned a pastor in the immediate area of her home to see if he could shed any light on the validity of her need. This shepherd did not know of the woman so I drove to my destination without much physical insight into her plight.

Upon arriving I was met by the usual neighborhood contingency of greeters; several unkempt dogs who circled around me trying to obtain some sense of my purpose by sniffing my pant legs. The woman met me in the driveway and we walked to her modest little cabin, taking rest on two shabby wooden chairs on the front porch. Almost immediately two young men appeared from behind the shack carrying weed-eaters like shotguns. She introduced these would-be gardeners as her son and her brother, both about the same age.

I set about conducting the usual inquiry. I asked her a host of questions, all introduced in an effort to determine the true level of the woman’s need. I won’t bore you with the details, but she satisfied each of my requests with documentation to back up her claims. Over the years I’ve learned that people who frequently seek help from outside organizations like ours usually have all this information readily available.

Having determined in my mind that our ministry would come to this woman’s aid, I called to her two companions, now energetically trying to start the engines on the two weed-eaters that had been exposed to the elements for an undetermined amount of time. I asked them to sit with us while I explained the real reason that our ministry was going to assist them. I began sharing with them the difference between religion and relationship. A small white church building, such as dot the hillsides throughout this area, rests on the other side of the road before us- empty of course. I pointed to the structure and asked them, “If Jesus were walking down this road what do you think He would do- visit that church house or come sit on your porch for a while?” That question alone opened up a dialog that lasted for thirty minutes. My hosts offered up various understandings of God’s love, often based on experiences in “church” or exposure to a twelve-step program for alcohol and drug recovery.

As we discussed the reality of Jesus’ presence in our midst, my mind was drawn to the fourth chapter of John’s Gospel. The woman’s “brother” said, “Preachers down here tell us we have to go to that church building in order to worship God!” Jesus’ words came back to me: “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks.” (John 4:23). I then shared the reality of what it means to be “born again”; not an external religious exercise that is undertaken numerous times in a person’s life, but a step by faith into a living relationship with God; one that is founded on the work of the Holy Spirit “welling up” as a spring of water from within.

The woman and I wept together over God’s Great Love. The men voiced agreement, though they remained somewhat emotionless. Mountain men don’t cry.

As I was driving away from this “front porch church meeting” my cell phone rang. My pastor friend, who I had called regarding this family, had some news for me. “I’ve checked around and those who know this woman have advised that you exercise caution when you visit. There has been some drug dealings witnessed at that home… and the woman has had numerous men living with her over the past number of years”. Jesus’ words as recorded by John returned once again: “The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.” (John 4:18).

“I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” (verse 25). I’m sure that Jesus did visit with us on that front porch, next to the well. His Holy Spirit explained things to us by way of the conversation we engaged in. My hope is that this story develops in a pattern similar to that recorded by the Gospel writer; that this woman would share her experience with others, and that they would finally declare, “… this man (Jesus, not His messenger,) really is the Savior of the world.” (verse 42).