In Spirit and In Truth

Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, "Go, call your husband, and come back." The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!" The woman said to him, "Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us." Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking to you."John 4:16-26 

I am aware that we Episcopalians can be liturgical snobs. We can take great pride in our worship and leave out spirit and truth by our need for control. All humans can miss the need for spirit and truth in our daily lives. We can delude ourselves by thinking we get it right, when we meanwhile mistreat and deceive others, or judge others when it is not our job at all. 

Jesus has one of the most straight forward conversations with the woman at the well, an enemy, an outsider and someone living in "sin". She too acknowledges truthfully her circumstances and knows what all of humanity waits for. And in her presence, in this intimate and honest conversation, he reveals himself to her. Honesty and integrity are hard to come by in this world, and yet, if we are willing to humbly and fully approach God, God indeed will be present with us. 

Today I ask God to help me live in spirit and in truth in everything I do. May we avoid plotting and manipulating, and instead humbly open our hearts to the living God. May we find ourselves transformed and renewed as we humbly approach one another and the heart of God.