Woman at the Well
A Lenten Poem after John 4:5-42
Woman at the Well by Kassi Wilson
After John 4:5-42
Every day she covers her
face from the bright sun and lugs
empty canisters to Jacob’s well.
The noonday heat makes her
body wither inside with a deep
unquenchable thirst.
This is her lot in life. Fetching
water only to return the next day
to fetch all over again.
On the outside she appears
to be a plain old woman
carrying out a daily task. And yet—
Know one can see that her heart
burns for salvation. Daily
she is searching for answers.
She reaches the stone well as
the crowds disperse. In a moment
it’s suddenly still and very quiet.
A man sits down beside her and asks
for a drink. She’s taken back. Jews
do not associate with Samaritans
(especially a Samaritan woman).
But the Jew speaking with her is not
an ordinary man. While they converse
together a divine meeting transpires.
He recounts her deepest secrets.
The longing she held inside.
That day she didn’t fill canisters.
She left with living water. I am so thankful to share Kassi Wilson’s poem this week. What part of this poem captivates you? Where are you seeing something new from, perhaps, an account that you know well?
The unfiltered depiction of sheer humanity within this poem brought my mind to two things. On one hand, the deep spiritual need for living water—a strong and sustaining connection between one’s being and the Triune God. On the other, the very real reality that so many people around the world still lack access to water. In many places, simply obtaining water poses enormous barriers to pursuing dreams, education, and daily life.
I would highly recommend learning more about the global water crisis through the work of Water.org (there are certainly other organizations doing this work, too) and considering what you or your community might do to support the thirsty. Kassi’s reference to “jugs” and “canisters” echoes, to me, the objects used by many who carry water in jerry cans or repurposed plastic containers to provide for themselves and their households.
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