I wonder: who is the strangest stranger in this story? Who is the one who is most “other”? The woman? No. She is a Samaritan living in Samaria, in the town right there. Everyone knows her. Who, then?
I love the story of the Woman at the Well in John chapter 4. It’s a story rich in metaphor, allegory and symbolism. I could probably write a dozen sermons on it!
This morning, we’ll dig down on one specific aspect of the many meanings found in this story.
Because of its length, I’ll give a synopsis in place of our normal practice of reading the full passage. We’ll then watch a video that presents a modern reinterpretation of this passage, and conclude with a short meditation.
This New York Times article raises a challenging question.
Absolutely the student did wrong, and should be made to face some sort of consequence for stealing his teacher’s smartphone and then accessing and distributing her personal [nude] photos on it. And, I agree that the school system was way out of line for condemning her, if [as it appears] they rushed to a judgment of her without simultaneously investigating and determining how to address the student’s actions. (They’ve ducked the issue by saying his fate is being left up to Law Enforcement.)
The deeper question is this: how responsible is the content owner (the teacher) for creating and retaining such content, and then making it accessible – even if inadvertently or illicitly – by others? Does an expectation of privacy prevail, as she claims?
The Here and the Hereafter 