Like the Bible

   For those of us who live in a third world country, many times we see life in a way that is more like those of Biblical times.  Women go to the well each day. Most of time they meet in the morning, just after the sun has risen. There they wait in line to fill their buckets, they share local gossip, they help each other set their buckets on their heads, and they head back to their homes to prepare bath water and tea for their families.

   When we read the story of the Woman at the Well, it is not foreign to us. We see things like this often.  We understand the way village gossip works and how she was probably avoiding it by being there in the afternoon.

   We see people who are plowing their fields with oxen. So when Scripture talks of not being unequally yoked, it makes sense.

   We see axes with heads that can fall off easily.  It makes the story of Elisha and the axe head that floated.

   Yesterday, they buried a woman.  I heard the story after the fact. She had lived for years with a “blood issue”.  It made me think of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment.  She tried everything to be healed, but no doctor could help her, in the end she turned to Christ and was healed.  I don’t know the entire story of this woman. I know she was a second wife. Because of this the Catholic church would not bury her even though she faithfully donated to the church and participated on things.  She suffered greatly from her illness.

  I don’t know much more, only what I hear through the grapevine. But so often we are reminded of the way life was at the time of Christ.  The stories jump out to us in 3D because of living in similar circumstances.