The National Association of Catholic Chaplains

Menu
  • Membership
      • Apply for Membership
      • Frequently-Asked Questions about Membership
      • Request Retired Membership
      • State Liaisons
      • Newest Members
      • Membership Directory
      • Member map
      • Celebrating Our Members’ 25-year Membership and Certification
      • In Memoriam: deceased NACC members
    • Close
  • Certification
    • Initial Board Certification
      • Board Certified Chaplain (BCC)
      • Certified Associate Chaplain (CAC)
      • Palliative Care and Hospice Advanced Certification (PCHAC)
      • VA Initial Board Certification
      • Recognition of Strategic Partners Board Certification
      • Newly Certified Chaplains
      • Close
    • Renewal of Certification
    • Certification Competencies & Procedures
      • Certification Competencies & Procedures
      • Important Background on NACC Certification Competencies
      • Professional Code of Ethics for Spiritual Care Professionals
      • Certification Commission
      • Certification Appeals Panel
      • Ethics Appeals Panel
      • Close
    • Mentors
    • Recognition of Strategic Partners Board Certification
    • Verifying Certification
    • Maintaining Certification in Retirement
    • Graduate Theological Programs
    • Close
  • Education Resources
      • 2023 Retreat
      • 2023 Webinar Series
      • Recorded webinars (2009-2022)
      • Calendar of Events
      • Graduate Theological Programs
      • CPE Programs
      • NACC Professional Networking Calls
      • Continuing Education Hour Requests – Guidelines and Forms
      • Ongoing Educational Opportunities
      • Local/Regional Gatherings & Events
      • Past Conferences (2004 – 2022)
      • Vision
    • Close
  • Resources
    • Antiracism Resources
    • Administrator Resources
    • Awareness Resources
    • Chaplaincy Care Resources
    • Coronavirus Resources & Updates
    • Job Listings
    • The Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling
    • Partners in Pastoral Care
    • Research
    • Specialty Care Resources
    • Spirituality and Prayer Resources
    • Spiritual Care Department Resources
    • Vision
    • Close
  • About NACC
    • About the NACC
      • Mission/Vision/Values
      • Constitution and ByLaws
      • Strategic Plan
      • History
      • Close
    • Annual Awards
    • Association Leadership
      • NACC Board of Directors
      • Committees, Commissions, and Panels
      • National Office Staff
      • Episcopal Advisory Council
      • Close
    • Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition (CPMC)
    • Choose Chaplaincy
    • Health Care Collaborators
    • NACC Merchandise
    • NACC Publications and Documents
      • Vision
      • NACC Now
      • Annual Reports & Financial Reviews
      • Documents and publications
      • NACC Blog
      • Close
    • Partners in Pastoral Care
    • Partners for Professional Excellence in Spiritual Care
    • Vision
    • Close
  • Choose Chaplaincy
  • Contact Us
      • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

    • Close
  • Donate Now
  • Member Login
Home » Vision » January-February 2021 » Jesus and the Samaritan woman model how to bridge gaps

Jesus and the Samaritan woman model how to bridge gaps

By Fr. Joseph F. Mali

After the killing of George Floyd in 2020, and the violent insurrection that rocked the Capitol on Jan. 6, there is a growing concern over America’s political divide. In politics, religion, and families, the tensions are running high. However, we can heal with the right approach – the way Jesus did with the Samaritan woman (John 4:1-42). Even today, Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well and her compatriots is replete with lessons for uniting people.

The Samaritan-Jewish enmity dated to the religious schism that followed Israel’s split, with the Jews worshiping God in Jerusalem, and the Samaritans on Mount Gerizim, each condemning the other as heretics. This is the awful past the woman revisits in her reaction to Jesus’ plea for water: “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” Our polarization is something similar. It is the byproduct of historical racism, inequality, social injustice, and religious bigotry.

An essential step in addressing tensions is a painful admission of our history, and then rising above it. Jesus, perhaps more than anyone in his day, saw that it was time for a change. This realization is central to his reforms, including promoting a culture of inclusion, and building bridges between factions. Notably, in this story, Jesus abandoned the custom that a Jewish religious teacher should not talk to women in public.

Similarly, to improve the Catholic Church’s relations with other religions, the Second Vatican Council toned down the traditional Catholic teaching that “Outside the church there is no salvation,” paving way for today’s interreligious dialogue that is unifying people with different beliefs. The same is true of mixed marriages, which in bygone days were discouraged, but now allowed in Catholic circles.

We also cannot be too proud to take the first step. Jesus does not wait for the Samaritans to initiate peace. He crosses frontiers to talk with them. He places the woman’s interest above his own, promising her “living water,” which for her means no more trips to the well in the heat of the sun. When we treasure other people’s perspectives, we stand a better chance of getting along with them. We have seen this in interreligious dialogues with world religions, and this is a path forward for both Republicans and Democrats. Don’t just see the world solely through your own lenses or make your interest the supreme good. Step into other people’s shoes and see as they see; feel as they feel and get a better outcome.

As the discussion progresses, Jesus earns the woman’s trust with a deep, compassionate consideration of her complicated marital status. Without passing judgment on her, he applauds her honesty. Empathy and understanding are fundamental. When Amy Biehl, an American student in South Africa, was murdered by angry militants in 1993, her parents felt “a void.” After they saw the miserable conditions in the murderers’ hometown, they understood how the youth could be violent, and invested a substantial amount of money in the community to improve their lives. If only we know the sorrows of other souls, our empathy can be ignited, and we can bond with them.

For her part, the woman divests herself of negativity and acquires a new knowledge of Jesus as a prophet. Resentment of others is easy if we have an erroneous view of them. When we get to know a stranger, our bias may give way to friendship.

As soon as Jesus mentions her marriage, possibly to avoid embarrassment, the woman changes the subject to an age-old theological question — the right place to worship, in Jerusalem (for Jews), or in Samaria (for Samaritans). According to Jesus, in the future, both places will be irrelevant, for true worshipers of God will adore God in “Spirit and in truth.” Jesus’ interest is in what binds them together, the “Spirit and truth” of their devotion, not their houses of prayers, which separate them.

During the last bitter U.S. presidential election, we were more in the likeness of the woman than Jesus, stressing party loyalty at the expense of our union and the American spirit. However, during the first wave of Covid-19 pandemic, it was the American spirit that triumphed. At my workplace, Albany Medical Center, we witnessed an outpouring of support from diverse groups for our healthcare workers, irrespective of creed, color, ethnicity, or political affiliation.

When Jesus’ disciples find their master in an open talk with a woman, which is a taboo to them, they are scandalized. Supporters of racism, discrimination, and inequality today stand in the same old tradition. It is not beneficial to shut our doors to such people, as many have done after the last U.S. presidential election results. With a strategic approach like that of Jesus, they can become kinder, friendlier like the Samarian woman.

The way you transform society is one life at a time. Through the courage of one Jew, Jesus of Nazareth, and the transformation of one Samaritan, the woman at the well, former rivals became allies. At the end of the narrative, the Samaritans flock to Jesus, urging him to stay with them, and he socializes with them for two days. What an amazing reversal of that long, painful history! If only we take a cue from Jesus and the Samaritans, our own riven society may one day be restored.

Fr. Joseph F. Mali is an interfaith chaplain at Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY.

The National Association of Catholic Chaplains
Become a Member Would you like to get Certified?

Free Publications

Don’t miss the latest news, subscribe to our newsletter today! You don’t have to be a member to subscribe.

National Association of Catholic Chaplains
4915 S. Howell Avenue, Suite 501
Milwaukee, WI 53207
Get Directions

Phone: (414) 483-4898
Fax: (414) 483-6712
Email: info@nacc.org

Our office hours
Mon-Thur 8:00am – 5:00pm Central Time
Friday 8:00am – 12 Noon
Sat-Sun closed

Job Listings

Current job opportunities for chaplains, priests, CPE residents, supervisors, directors of pastoral care, managers, mission directors, and more.

Job Listings

Free Publications

Don’t miss the latest news, subscribe to our newsletter today! You don’t have to be a member to subscribe.

Donate Now

Learn more about making a tax-deductible donation to NACC.

Donate Now

Connect with us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
© 1997 - 2023 National Association of Catholic Chaplains - Sitemap

Built by Westwords