Is my well deep or is it dry? What makes it so? Deep goes beyond the surface level; deep, into the ground water. Deep, beyond the levels of rock and sand. Deep, to the source. It isn’t a flashing seasonal creek or spring. It goes deeper still.

In a rural area where a well is needed, digging one is no small task. Keeping the water flowing isn’t an easy thing. Calculations must be made for how much water is used in the household. How much water there is in dry seasons. Then those numbers are compared to the amount of water flow at the bottom of the well. In modern times it is preferable to measure the depth AND the flow. If the well doesn’t refill fast enough the digging has to go deeper. The flow determines the depth.

Impulsive or less experienced people stop when they hit water. They deem the job is done. Those who know, who have experienced the deep, discern when it is necessary to keep going. They do not stop until the flow is high enough to sustain life in all seasons.

In the desert, a well is life or death. Back in the day, there were no ways to measure flow or depth. Water was water and, in the desert, water meant survival. People walked miles to a deep well; to get drinking water; to quench their animals thirst; to gather for cooking; to wash their clothes; to get water in which to bathe.

In current times, here is the metaphorical question: Is my well deep or dry? I believe God is about to show us the state of our wells. The spiritual journey to the water is something to take note of in life. Drilling a well is a difficult thing. There are many distractions. Digging can be messy and unfruitful. At times, all the drilling will come up empty. Some will have to dig more than one hole. Some will rejoice too soon. Some will be assured that some water is better than none. They will settle for light flow. But when the deep drought comes, they will go thirsty. They will look around to others who stayed the course and did the deep digging, and they will not understand how they missed the living water. They settled for plain water when it mattered most.

There are differences between plain water and living water. One wets the whistle. It quenches thirst for a season, but when the season changes, the thirst continues. Rather than curse the thirst, we must realize the thirst is there to encourage deep digging. Thirst is what drives the drill.

How thirsty am I? How badly do I want to drink? How long can I live without having to dig deeper? Is there a way to avoid the hard digging process?  Can I drink from another well? Can I go from well to well gathering sips and cups, without having to do the deeper work of finding water for myself? Or do I remain in the dry place and go deeper? What is the pattern of my life? Escape the hard by depending on others for a drink from their well? Or doing the hard work of finding the source for myself? Or by asking him directly what he thinks and heeding his words to me?

The source hears my questions and he has the answers. They are not trite. They are not simplistic and most times they require me to look deeper to what he is asking of me. God kind of deep is never easy, but it is gentle. He is always kind.

Jesus was a radical. He did not preach words that tickled the ears. He went against both government and religious leaders with his words. He challenged the status quo of his day. Here and now, I can spout off his words because they are “hidden in my heart.” But here’s a question I ask myself: Are they really? If I am not living them, are they really in there? I think about a lot of things, my work, my home, my world…but do I allow his words to make it past my thoughts and into my heart?

I’m not so sure I do. If those words he spoke are in my heart, shouldn’t I be changed from the inside out? My behavior, my words, my thoughts, how I treat others? His words roll off my tongue, but do I follow them? When he says, “love your enemies,” “turn the other cheek,” “clean the inside of the cup,” “love those who persecute you,” “get the log out of your own eye “(add your favorites here) …how do I do these things?

Wrestling with the answer, I ask him that question. He says I cannot do them…unless I allow him to show me how. Unless I sit with him. I must submit to the surgical transformation in which he “creates in me a clean heart and renews a right spirit in me.” These are the treasures from him. Deep wells create clean hands and a pure heart. I will not despise them.

Jesus, throwing over the tables was unexpected. Different than his previous behavior. But the purpose of throwing over the tables, was that it brought about the crucifixion. The money changers and the religious leaders were in cahoots. The government washed their hands of the whole mess and allowed the people to decide. How shallow were the wells? From Messiah to “crucify” in a matter of hours. A shallow well. Blind eyes.

The solider who saw the truth? Deep well. The women in the garden? Deep well. The ones who stayed with him until the last breath? Deep well.

Where were his faithful? Scattered, looking for water… shallow well. Confused in spirit…shallow well. They didn’t see, in three years they didn’t see…shallow well. They were blinded by their own assumptions. By their own thoughts…the truth never made it to the heart of the matter, until their wells ran dry and all was lost.

The good news is that he designed it that way. To bring about his plan there had to be scales over their eyes. Throughout his ministry he told his followers, but they couldn’t not see. Just like the parables didn’t make sense to some, the scales served a purpose. What purpose? To send them searching for water. To bypass the shallow and in humility while they were hiding, reflect over his words with new eyes. He does the same today. Stirs up the status quo and challenges us to come to the deep well. Love your enemies. Even those who persecute you. Even as you hide from their swords. Love your life and lose it. Lose your life and find it. Riddles. Suddenly clear. Scales gone, deep waters, never to thirst again. Lose your life…but find the source. Deep calls to deep. He is calling. He is asking: Deep or Dry? Which will it be? We are about to find out.