Exodus 17: 2,4; John 4:7,9,10

Keeping the faith 3: Have genuine conversations

We are in the third of a series of sermons on keeping the faith. It is all about how to keep the faith when people do seem not act like Christians and this could include ourselves. Two weeks ago we concluded that we must tell the truth about ourselves if we are going to keep our faith and keep faith in those who disappoint us, we have to be truthful. If we are not up front about who we are, then how can we expect others to be?  Last week we talked about the difficult notion that not everything is about us or about how satisfied we feel, that there is a bigger picture of God’s work and that we should not expect to be at the center of everything.  However we should expect to be deeply loved by God.  If we can step back and see our place in perspective, our philosophy changes. Today we move to conversations and it is important that we are genuine.  I saw a great cartoon (in the Christian Century) that showed a television broadcast.  It was the moment to share the weather.  One anchor said: “That was Brad with the Democratic weather and now we have Tammy with the Republican weather.”  Boy that cartoon tells the truth, doesn’t it?  We live in a country where we at the point that the weather is point of contention.  Maybe not so much if it will rain, but what causes the weather these days.  We have so many choices about where we get our news that we can switch the channel if we don’t like the news that’s presented. Social media is set up so we get the see the news we would like to hear, not what’s actually the most important. Otherwise we would be hearing about famines.  Then we see so much manipulation and game playing in language on tv, that everything is a smokescreen.  You do not get what’s real anymore.  Everything is disingenuous.  In the midst we hear the message from Jesus.  In that climate we have to talk to each other.

Friends, what is a good conversation? One where everybody said the right thing, but didn’t mean it? I don’t think so.  One where one person knew everything and looked down on the other? I don’t think so.  When people are asked about what a good conversation is, they will often say: there was sincerity and caring, there was wit or humor, there was relevance, it was original, there was clarity, it was informative. Now I don’ know if the conversation in today’s passage would be all of the above,  but something’s real is going on here.  In Exodus the people come to Moses and genuinely air their frustration: “ Did you take us out of Egypt so be could die of thirst,” they ask.  And Moses complains about the people’s lack of patience and  gratitude.  Then there is humor. The places where all this happening are called Massa and Meribah, words that mean testing and quarrelling in Hebrew.  This is very symbolic. Both parties are telling their truth and they get their issues out, but they are not exactly doing it is a way that furthers and strengthens the relationship. The conversation that Jesus has with the Samaritan woman is different.  Two people come together at Jacob’s well. One is a Samaritan woman of Jewish and local blood. The other is Jesus, the Jewish healer and teacher.  Like the conversation between Moses and the people, they seem to be talking about water, but it is really about something deeper.  The woman misunderstands Jesus when He is speaking about water.  She thinks he means it literally while Jesus is speaking metaphorically and spiritually about “living water.” The Samaritan woman speaks the truth and more than anything Jesus speaks the truth.

Friends, so many conversations that we are witness to in front of the tv, in the workplace or on the street or even that we are a party to are not real conversations.  They aren’t like that encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. Look at what Jesus does: He tells the truth, but He also accepts her when she tells her truth, He names what is going on, but He does not humiliate her and in this process He transforms and heals.  This is what real conversations are about: they are truthful, they don’t humiliate and they transform and heal.

This is, friends, why I think a church community like this is important. It can help create a setting where people can be real with each other. I think this congregation is healthy and alive largely because you tend to have genuine conversations.

Friends, all of us know people whose voices aren’t heard.  Listen to a partial statement from the PCUSA peacemaking program:” Some people have voices we choose not to hear.  Some people have voices we ignore. Some people have voices we force to the margins.  Some people have voices we oppress, repress, suppress. Some people have voices we have silenced, sometimes for a long time, but all people have voices. “ Friends, are some of those voices from people we’d rather not listen to?

We cannot give up on people. Whether that is someone with a political opinion that twists your stomach or a relative whose behavior you find appalling, we cannot give up. The Hebrew people were almost impossible to talk to. The Samaritan woman was not ok to talk to.  If we are going to be Christians we have to keep engaging others, even though either we do not want to, like Moses, or it is not culturally acceptable as with Jesus. But let’s be real. May God give us wisdom and strength.