There are two 'rules of the canyon' that guide people successfully in and out of the Grand Canyon.  The first, always have drinking water with you.  The second, never be on the lowest part of the trail between 1:00 and 3:00pm.  Silly me, I hadn't heard of either of them when I started out that morning. 

There were 4 of us, and we made the first stretch somewhat together, stopping about 40 minutes up from the bottom for a mule train to pass.  The two John's took off, I following and Leroy bring up the rear, very slowly.  I was torn between keeping up and making sure Leroy was all right.  Soon, I was alone on the trail, no water, no companions.  Just heat.  Just thirst.  Woof...  Kept trudging, then a sound to bring joy to the ears - the trickle of water.  Left the trail and headed to the sound of salvation.  There before me was a small stream. But just before I was to ingest major quantities of water - I saw a sign posted just up from where I was.  "Do not drink.  Contaminated water."  It looked to clean and pure.  It looked so wonderful and wet.  I was so tempted to just drink and drink and drink, even knowing it was bad.  My thirst said: "Ignore the sign."  It must be wrong.  But I obeyed, trusting the little skull and crossbones that was at the bottom was a significant truth.  So I contented self with rinsing mouth out (a poor choice, probably, but I was desperate) and soaking my shirt in it.  Was enough to get me to the oasis about 30 minutes further up...  The experience of thirst.  It can be overpowering.

The woman at the well knew all about thirsting, didn't she?  And about looking in all the wrong places for water.  She came to the well about midday - not the usual time to gather water.  It would almost guarantee that she would be alone there.  Alone, because no one would see her shame.  No one would comment about her failed relationships.  Imagine the thirst there.  Five marriages - each one ending - whether in death or divorce, we don't know.  But 5 times, now 6, she thirsted for that which would satisfy.  6 times she drank what promised to be quenching, what looked so good on the outside, but was contaminated within.  6 timed now, she searched for the one who would make her days full of meaning and joy.  And coming at midday, it looks like she had yet to find it...  A great thirst there, a great thirst...

And in a conversation that is as tender as it is probing, we discover that hers was not the deepest thirst that day.  That deeper than her thirst was the desire of God for her.  The offer of living water, Jesus gives to her.  The offer of a water that wells up within, bringing life is what Jesus wants for her.  "If you knew who it is who stands before you, you would ask him for a drink..."  To this woman who searched for meaning in all the wrong places - the wrong temple, the wrong relationships, the wrong faith background - Jesus offers living water. Clean water.  Water that wells up from within.  Water that quenches the deep down thirsts in the right way.  No wonder she leaves the jar behind.  It is useless now.  No wonder she goes running back to the village that rejected her. No wonder the shame is gone, the embarrassment disappears.  Tasting the healthy waters she is made whole again.  She is made whole again. 

Where are you thirsty this morning and what have you used to quench that thirst?  If the truth be told, we have all ingested contaminated water. Thirsting for meaning, we've bought into consumerism.  Thirsting for relationship, we've ingested keeping ourselves insanely busy.  Thirsting for security, we've put our trust as a country in our weapons.  False waters where we need to drink again and again.   It's not the thirst that betrays us, it's the water we use to quench that thirst that is contaminated...that's the problem.

This morning, we are invited to taste of the living waters, here at this table. May we know, like the woman at the well, that the deepest thirst this morning is God's for us.  May we trust that God's deepest longing is for us to be free - free from all which promises life but delivers death.  May we open ourselves to the dialogue with Jesus that is deep and tender and probing and freeing - a dialogue that will bring us life flowing within. 

Concretely, this week - 2 question - what is the contaminated water you drink? In it's place, what is the living water which God wants for you.