Irja Askola 23.8.2017
Meditation
Bible Portion – John: 4:1-42
She never meant it to be this way
all this was not her dream nor her plan
anyway, the dominant culture
discriminated against her people –
Samaritans were to be avoided
but something in her personal journey
made her own people suspicious of her as well
others invited her no more in
and she sentenced herself to isolation.
Why should I try to explain
they wouldn’t understand.
Gradually the rule became clear.
no-one asked her anything, she told no-one anything
shopping at the market she felt behind her back that
they whispered thoughts about her –
about her many men – they all seemed to know
but for her feelings, they showed no concern
Her contact with the communitybecame less and less
she erected a wall of separation about her
she had to get away from those
whose good will was cloaked
with curiosity or superiority
and so she rather bore the hot sun of midday
walked alone all the way to the well
for her daily water.
Far away were those mornings
when she joined other women
sharing news, giving and receiving.
Today everything went differently –
the silence in the pressing heat
was broken by the voice of a man
one friendly request
begins a process which returns the woman
to her community
and to herself
Someone starts discussing with her
accepts her as a person with opinions
not only as a female body
and all of a sudden
she remembers –
how it feels to be asked
to be listened to, to be taken seriously
she even wants to make sure
that the man understands
the unusual situation
“but you are Jewish”
they do not speak with us Samaritans
and never publicly with a woman
drinking out of her bucket
ignoring even the ritual purity
and all of a sudden she remembers –
how it feels to be seen
clean, whole, “like the others”
The dialogue goes on –
no teaching, no advice
but an open space
where everything can be called
by its right name
and all of a sudden
she remembers –
how it feels to be able
to tell someone
how things in her life actually are.
Slowly and discreetly
the wall of isolation comes down
and she runs back to her village
and all of sudden
she remembers –
how it feels to have news
which she can share
and in the early morning hours
we find her now
going to the well
chatting with others
and she looks different
she looks as a woman who has got back her self-esteem
over and over again
she thinks of that special midday
and she knows
healing starts
when you do not come to help me
but be present, just available
to share with me what we can.
healing continues
when you do not see me as a problem
but as a whole person
who has a problem
among the other things I have
healing goes on
when you don’t advise me to forget
but you help me to remember.
– Irja Askola