WHEN JESUS MET CORONA [Sun, 3-15-20]

CHRIST IN WINTER: Reflections on Faith & Life for the Years of Winter

I saw our doctor this week—just a regular visit. I knew she would question me about whether I am being sociable, since younger people are scared to death that an old person might have a solitary moment. [“You must stay active or something awful will happen, like you might have to sit quietly and think!”] So, I tried to forestall this encounter by telling Nurse Megan, before even seeing Dr. V, that I am not isolated. I really enjoy being an anti-social curmudgeon. It is my way of being in touch.

Nurse Megan was just walking out the door when she said that her husband was sort of like me, too. So, I said, “Tell him I didn’t say ‘hello.’”

When Helen was in later in the week for her own regular visit, Megan told her that she and her husband had been laughing about that all week. “I think your husband is secretly sociable,” she said.

I thought about this as I read the Gospel lection for today, in the midst of hearing so much about keeping away from others because of the corona virus. John 4:5-42 is the story of “the woman at the well.” As I read it, I was struck once again by how Jesus consistently undermined the practice of social distancing.

His world, and much of our current world, was/is very much into “social distancing.” He was not supposed to be sociable with a woman, nor with a Samaritan. Wasn’t even supposed to talk to a Samaritan woman. But he did not socially distance himself from her. Indeed, he was quite willing to give her “living water,” the same as anybody else.

We keep our social distance from people who are different—the poor, the handicapped, the socially awkward, the sexually different, the ethnics, those who cheer for the wrong team—be it athletic or political or financial or religious, those who worship God on the wrong mountain.

Now we are being told that keeping social distance is a good thing. It will prevent the spread of disease. But isn’t that what social distancing is always about? I am dis-eased when I have to deal with people who are different from me, so I keep my distance.

But it’s just the touch that’s the problem, isn’t it? That’s how we spread germs. Notice in this story that Jesus broke down all the social distance barriers, but he never touched the woman. In the pictures of their encounter, they are maintaining the recommended six-foot gap. Maintaining physical distancing, while at the same time breaking down social distancing.

There are many stories coming out now about how people are helping one another—delivering groceries, feeding children, paying for tests—people beyond the pale, people with whom they would not normally associate, because this corona virus is making us into one community, not many.

Social distancing and touching distancing are not the same thing. You can be out of touch and still be in touch.

John Robert McFarland