Hearing for ourselves

Today's reflection is based upon the Gospel reading appointed for today, John 4:27-42.

Yesterday I officiated at the funeral of Constance Davy, the oldest member of the Parish of the Epiphany. She would have been 99 this November. Connie Davy grew up in Winchester, and in these latter years she was completely blind, but always eager for a visit, and really glad whenever Peggy Roll, another parishioner and a fantastic baker of cookies, dropped off a half-dozen or more, preferably fresh from the oven.

When Connie's health began to fail, early in July, I visited with her. She spoke about her readiness to die. When I queried, around the edges, about her faith she said, "I really don't pray." Honesty matters, I say. So I responded by saying so, and assured her that formal praying is not a prerequisite for God. 

The day she died her great-nephew, Chris, a man about my age, and Chris's 6 year old son, Quinn, were singing to her. This father and son duo, with guitar and violin (the little boy with the violin), stayed with Connie until she died, a holy moment for all of them, I'm told. 

Just before the funeral started I learned that Connie had a Bible, and I saw for myself page after page of underlines and margin notes, clearly something she did before she lost her eyesight. Just because she didn't want to speak to the rector about her prayer life doesn't mean she didn't have one!

In today's gospel reading John 4:27-42 the disciples are astonished that Jesus had been speaking to a Samaritan woman (a double outsider), and she herself returns to the city to say, "he told me everything I had ever done!" Meanwhile Jesus is getting pestered by the disciples to eat something, so he responds not by eating, but my preaching. From those conversations (with the disciples) Jesus spends two days with Samaritans, and it is they--the Samaritans--who turn to the woman who had been at the well with Jesus, to say, "it is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world."

Connie Davy didn't need to hear about Jesus from me! She had heard for herself.

Let us pray.

Gracious God, by whose will it is that we walk by faith and not by sight in the mysterious universe you have created, increase now our faith in you that in the midst of things which pass our understanding, we may not doubt your love, or miss your joy, or fail in our thanksgiving. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.