Centuries before this weekend’s gospel story about the woman at the well was written, Israel had been one people and one nation. After the death of King David, the nation of Israel divided into a Northern Kingdom called Israel and a Southern Kingdom called Judah. In 721 BC the Assyrians destroyed and conquered the northern kingdom. The Assyrians then deported most of the wealthy land owners, those who could read and write, those involved in government and leadership roles and shipped them to the outer ends of the Assyrian empire – today would be Armenia and Iran. So now, the Assyrians import their people from their empire who were bright, rich, had leadership skills to now totally and completely conquer the Northern Kingdom from within – most importantly, these new imports didn’t believe in God – they were pagans. Recall that the Jewish people who remained in the northern kingdom were mostly the uneducated, prisoners, slaves and the like. The newly imported Assyrians begin to intermarry with the Jews who were left and have children that probably look different – they have different skin color, hair texture, spoke differently, but most importantly because of the intermarriage there was a defamation of their Judaism according to Jewish law. The children of these inter-racial, interreligious marriages were called the SAMARITANS. How does the Northern kingdom of Samaritans now look to the faithful Jewish people in the South who continued to honor their faith and call from God to be his chosen people? They deeply disdained them for their infidelity to God as His chosen people and the law. The amalgamation of Jewish and pagan customs created a new community in the north and they were referred to by the south as ‘half-breeds’ (a very slang term)! Now you can better appreciate the words from the woman today at the well when she says to Jesus, “How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” She was well aware of the long standing division between Jews and Samaritans. Sometimes our long standing predispositions, perceptions, and past dealings with others can sometimes prevent us from recognizing the presence of Jesus. If those around us don’t change, maybe we should. If everybody creates a stalemate between relationships, then yes, things will never change in the world. It reminds me of that beautiful song, Let there be peace on earth and in the last line is reads, “And let it begin with me.” Fr. Roach
