Jesus and the Samaritan Woman
I wrote this wonderful icon over a year ago for the Society of the Sacred mission at The Well at Willen, Milton Keynes. I cannot describe the joy I felt whilst working on it and I know that the people at The Well love this icon through and through.
I felt it was appropriate to put it here in the midst of my Five Faces of Christ as, after I had finished the icon I felt moved to write a meditation for it. This has now become a bit of a habit and I write them to go with all the icons I do for people whether for a church or a personal gift.
The serenity and interplay between Jesus and the Samaritan woman is central in this icon. I love the way He had such an open heart for everyone. May we all become like Him.
Meditation:
This very beautiful and intimate icon of Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman reminds us of his ability to talk to anyone no matter what the prevailing beliefs and prejudices of the day are.
The two figures are poised in the foreground almost as if what is behind them does not exist. Jesus reaches out his left hand towards the Samaritan woman and his hand is aligned with the highlight on her robe that is like a zig-zag – a very powerful symbol of light and energy often seen in robes in icons, especially of angels. It is as if his hand is sending his power to her as she points to the vessel she has brought to fill. Instead of ordinary water she wishes to have the water of life he speaks to her about; the water that lasts forever. She cradles the urn in her left arm, ready to receive this great gift. The Samaritan woman is long and willowy, fluid, like water herself, there is a graciousness about her despite her past and the many husbands Jesus reveals he knows about. None of this matters, it is what goes on between the two at this moment in time. Indeed, when gazing at the icon it is as if it is happening now- a continuous now occurring through the ages and the opportunity to receive from this Divine well he is offering us.
Her under garment is the colour green, representing serenity and the earth – the plants, the flowers the trees, that which gives us oxygen and earthly life. She has a waistband and cuffs of vibrant orange signifying the holy spirit, that which vivifies us and gives us eternal life. Finally she wears and over garment of red, like Our Saviour’s. This signifies her acceptance of Christ’s love and salvation as he bestows it upon her. Finally she wears a scarf of pure white, this covering of her head and is a symbol of her ultimate success at overcoming the passions in order to live a life in Christ. The towel carries two blue bands and is a representation of the Jewish faith. She stands at ease atop the labyrinth, a symbol of the mind of man and the path of contemplation and is at ease yet poised to receive more from Our King. Overall she is a dynamic yet peaceful receptacle for the holy spirit.
Christ sits lightly atop the rocks. The two groupings are representations of Mount Sinai and Mount Tabor where the Law and the Transfiguration were received respectively. His feet enlighten the grass and his manner is open yet vital. His right hand is set in the sign of peace and his left hand is open and stretched towards the woman. His red under garment is the symbol that he has come from Heaven and the orange sash, his authority as given through the holy spirit. The blue outer garment is symbolic of his willingness to become human and to be born on the earth, yet it is like flowing water and light. The two bend their heads towards each other in their willingness to listen and to communicate with one another. Both figures have faces of utter calm and peace but also of purpose.
The well sits between the two, the symbol of life for all the Old Testament tribes of Israel as they wandered through the land. Most significant mystical happenings were often sited near or at a well. Stars, zig-zags and scrolls adorn the well, representing the energy and vibration of all life throughout the cosmos. It contains a glimpse of water just as our own perception of the Truth is but a glimpse of the total reality of existence. The lid is ajar, inviting us to enter.
Behind Jesus is a small lake representing Willen, with a couple of white ducks swimming happily on the water that is choppy as if blown by a strong breeze, again another symbol of the coming of the Spirit that sounded like a loud rush of wind when the disciples received it at Pentecost. On the left at Christ’s shoulder is the Peace Pagoda guarded by golden lions in this instance. Not only a symbol for Milton Keynes but a symbol for the entrance to the Garden of Eden through the attainment of peace of one’s own soul in our own journey of the path to Zion. The church, traditionally set in this position on the icon is also based on Willen church with the little pineapples on the roof but also the vestibule is adorned with stars as an indication of the entrance into the greater cosmos when going into the church of our hearts. The four trees in front of the church are symbols for the four evangelists leading us to the entrance.
Drawing a line around the lake and through the well and then around the labyrinth will trace the symbol for eternity that underlies this whole icon. The perspective of an icon is often converse, we, the onlookers, are at the vanishing point, the smallest space, the icon draws us in to Heaven, wide and limitless. Figures and angles are drawn in particular ways not to convey the visible form but the invisible and the unknowable, that which is beyond our current perception.
The sky is gold leaf and the traditional symbol for heaven in an icon. The border, is red ochre and is a holy colour going back through all peoples to the earliest cave dwellers. It is a symbol of the old Testament and the foundation for what is to come. There are symbols of a number of faiths around the edge (Christianity, Taoism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Baha’i, Jainism and Shinto) as the Well at Willen is committed to openness and dialogue between all faiths, indeed all the wisdom and knowledge we need is contained in all the holy writings if we could overcome our passions and allow it to enter us. Take heed from the Samaritan woman who stepped lightly and was at first in awe and then most willing to allow the Truth to enter her life.
May all who stand before this icon and gaze at its beauty be filled with the closeness of a relationship with the Divine, the personal and simple surrender to a journey through the cosmos contained within the simple actions of conversing, listening, giving and receiving with openness and willingness.
Constantina Wood 24/02/11
