It’s a simple story of Jesus meeting a woman who had missed all the “good stuff” of life because she looked in all the wrong places.

Jesus opened her eyes and offered her the life-giving waters of spiritual life: his grace and love.

Jesus was aware and sensitive to those around him ... open to their needs, their hopes, and their hurts.

Today, just as in ancient Samaria, there are many social conventions that uphold distinctions among people. The sin of society and individuals is that we have allowed those distinctions to grow as barriers between people, where one group wishes to have nothing to do with another.

This is at the heart of the conflicts occurring in the Slavic countries. It is reflected in racism and religious fanaticism that tears or keeps society apart. Ethnic hatred. Ethnic cleansing. There are inner prejudices that limit us: concepts of race, culture, creed, gender.

The woman at the well was very sarcastic and defensive toward Jesus. She did what many people tend to do: shift the blame for what is wrong in her life to someone else. Ingrained in her mind was the belief that the Jews must be responsible for her failures, her anger, her spiritual emptiness.

Even when excuses might be true, you cannot let them determine your life.

Blaming others for your failures or mistakes is a way of avoiding responsibility and avoiding self-evaluation, and then avoiding any need to change your ways.

Jesus was not drawn into her suspicion and hatred.

Although she misunderstood at first, he was not offering tap-water to her house.

He was offering her the good stuff that she had always missed.

Value for her, like so many today, was made on material goods. While they may make life easier they do not make life fuller or happier.

When she expressed a desire for the living water, Jesus drew her into an awareness of her state of life; disordered, marked by a failure to be loved ... five husbands ... now living with a man.

She got the message from Jesus that this had to change.

She could not accept what Jesus offered until she recognized the need in her life.

She left the jar.

She left the worst at his feet and what he gave her was to be shared.

Jesus, give me this water, give me your grace and your love.

What do you need to give him ... to leave at his feet?

When you do, oh the places you will go, with him.