If you read them closely, you’ll notice that Psalm 22 is as “dry” as the passage from John is “wet.” An outcast from society who is mocked and scorned by his peers, the Psalmist seems hopeless and alone, crying out to God for help, and hearing no answer. His mouth is dry; there is no water to quench his thirst, his jaw sticks to the roof of his mouth, he has been laid in the dry dust of death. He pleads with God, begging for his help, but there is no answer. God is far from him, and he feels abandoned. Yet Jesus offers the Samaritan women “living water” that will quench her thirst, showing her that God is near and will reach out across the boundaries between the Samaritans and the Jews. God shows Himself to this woman that comes to the well by offering her a drink, but does not show Himself to the one that cries out for Him in thirst. This is the mystery that we have come to expect from God.
The story of the Samaritan woman and the desperation of Psalm 22 are so vastly different in their portrayal of God that they paint a beautiful picture of how He acts. On one hand Jesus comes to the woman by the well who is simply going about her daily business and shows her what He can provide her with, a well of water that will “quench her thirst” and give her eternal life. Merely out on an errand, she has an encounter with God. Through God’s son she is offered eternal life. A mundane, everyday chore has led her into the presence of the Lord, and after questioning Jesus at first; God has drawn her in and shown Himself to her. Through her own curiosity she was led down the path of faith. We too can be like this woman, and be led to God through our own curiosity or through everyday events in our lives.
The Samaritan woman accidentally stumbles upon God, but for some, faith has already been ingrained in them. God has always been a part of their life. I can imagine the Psalmist was one of those people. But now, God is gone. His cries for help go unheeded as God seems far and hidden, despite the searching and begging for divine help. In need of salvation from the dogs of temptation and the mouth of the lion, God has seemingly abandoned a person with strong faith. Why do this, and, more importantly, what can we do when we sense that God has abandoned us?
Maybe God does abandon us. Maybe we have to search for him sometimes. Maybe He shows himself to us in unexpected ways. Nevertheless, God will not let us live our lives alone. There are many causes of stress and distractions around us in the world today, tests, classes, homework, taxes are a few of the many things that clutter our connection to the Lord. Despite these things, God still reaches out to us and shows Himself to us. Maybe we see Him on an everyday errand like the Samaritan woman, or he comes to rescue us in our time of struggle after we cry out to him. Eventually the psalmist, too, is rescued by God. Whether we cry out to him or stumble upon, God will find us or we will find Him. He may come to our aid in times of need, or he may state his presence openly, but often He is not so obvious.
I have struggled with my faith many times, wondering where God is, and why I had not seen something that told me He was there. Maybe you, too, have struggled and wondered where is God?. I did not have a moment of revelation as did the Samaritan woman did, nor did I cry out for salvation. Instead, I gradually began to see the signs of his presence around us, starting on mission trips, away from my comfort zone, and with relatively few distractions. (Great theological insight!) The long, hard days of work first in New Orleans, and later in Appalachia, slowly opened my eyes. Looking back on that trip to New Orleans, I can’t help but think that we, and all the church groups were seen as the one’s that rescued, in some small way, those devastated by Katrina from the “mouth of the lion,” the lion of hopelessness and homelessness. There we helped them find God, if they hadn’t already. And they helped me to find God. That was the first step down the path that would lead me to discovery of the Lord. My path continued on another mission trip, this one to Clinchco, Virginia. It was there that I realized God had been showing me His presence all along, through the people that I met on mission trips. In their gratitude and thankfulness for our help, I began to see that there is something more than just human compassion that compels us to reach out and help those surrounded by dogs and dying of thirst. There is an infinitely stronger force, and that force is God. He shows us his presence in many ways, many times these signs go unnoticed, but He will not let us live without Him. Through serving others, I felt the presence of God. While helping others, it is easy for the Lord to show himself.
Finding God may be a struggle, a journey that will take time and effort, but the rewards of the journey will be great and worth more than anything we can ever give ourselves. It is our living water, our eternal life. Amen.