The Woman At The Well

“Always seek what is good for each other and for all. Rejoice always. Pray unceasingly. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (iThes5:16-18)

My coming of age period coincided with that of Martin Luther King and his civil rights movement, or as my mother would say, equal rights movement. Although MLK never entered our home, his companions, who were usually religious teachers, did meet there and plan activities.

When MLK was killed we were devastated- would non-violence be a central part of our actions? Would the movement die because the leader was gone?

Advent came with the readings about John the Baptist. Now I was reading the Advent message from a different perspective. The events came alive; I could relate. I knew Someone more wonderful than the person of John the Baptist and MLK would follow.

I knew MLK was a descendant of John, not physically, but both yearned for a change in people’s hearts. Both were forerunners, messengers of something greater than themselves. They brought awareness man was not living according to God’s divine will.

Both men were utterly authentic-their message firmly ingrained in their psyche: each spoke with the presence of a preacher and people followed; their message was to transform their listener’s lives. Both wanted to awaken man from the pattern of sleep into the pattern of life God had given. It was to change man’s life as it was known into something better: the order of life God had ordained for all men. The time is now they declared.

Both men were considered rebels by the authorities, although neither one broke the rules (laws) of the land. Neither man claimed the title Messiah or Elijah though some of their followers did believe them to be more than ordinary prophets. Both were chosen to speak to their communities, in their time.

Even their clothing spoke they were different from those of their class. Both were the “voice of one crying out in the wilderness.”(Jn1:20) Their message resonates today. Man sees only a tiny segment of time; God see time from creation to eternity.

Decades later my perspective is different. I ponder as did Mary: was non-violence an act of love, or was it a tactical solution when one had no money, guns or power? Did love permeate the actions of the movement? Was the purpose to influence or inspire- to transform hearts to a higher level in being fully human as Christ made all men?

For myself, Advent of 1968 awakened an awareness of my life’s work-justice and compassion for all men- an idealism that one with Christ could make a difference- that my life had a higher purpose than pursuit of money, pleasures, ease.

Today division, separation from the whole of life grips our communities as it surely did in the time of John the Baptist or Martin Luther King. Could it be that each of us who have willfully chosen Christ has been anointed to look at the gospels from a different perspective? Are we to transform lives once more? Are we “to restore all things to His will”?

Before one can change himself or another, one must cleanse himself as John said so Christ can enter and leave His Spirit of truth to guide one- “that all may see and know, observe and understand that the hand of the Lord has done this. (Is41:20) Having heard His voice in the desert are we not required to go into the towns to bring His message to all of love, of repentance? Will we choose an intentional “Yes” as did Mary as we hear the Advent message?