Today’s gospel reading starts with water. That substance is important, indeed essential, for life, and people in biblical times probably realized that better than we do. They were closer to the earth and knew how necessary water was for the crops and animals with which most of them were immediately concerned. That’s why many biblical stories have to do with water and why there are so many allusions to it — to rain, wells, rivers and drought.

            And, of course, we need water for ourselves, just to stay alive. You can go a long time without food but after a couple of days without water, you’ll be in bad shape. If you exercise vigorously, you know the importance of “hydrating,” and parents know how quickly a sick baby can dehydrate. We have to have water, and a lack of clean water is an increasing problem worldwide, especially for the poor. The need for water was always obvious to people in the Bible because they couldn’t get it by just turning a tap.

            Like many women in the Bible, the one in our text had to spend part of her day going to the village well for it.

            But I’m guessing that you aren’t too excited about water. To be honest, I’m not either. Everything I just said is true, and we know it’s true. Water is a critical resource that’s essential for life — but it’s not thrilling. You get no buzz, no rush, from a glass of water. We generally don’t think about it at all unless algae are growing in the reservoir and the stuff from the faucet tastes funny.

            Jesus, though, talks t

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