The second missional principle we see in John 4 is conversation. In John 4:7 Jesus asks the Samaritan woman at the well for a drink, just testing the relational waters if you will. I guess he didn’t have to talk to her… he could have just given her a little head nod, a little “whats up”, but no he just asks her a simple question. What’s so amazing is that this simple question floors this woman. She can’t understand why Jesus, a Jew, would even acknowledge a Samaritan. You know, it’s amazing what a simple question can do for someone. It’s amazing what just saying hello and maybe flashing some pearly whites can do for someone.
My wife Jaya is incredible at this, having a kid helps though. We’ll be at the store or a restaurant with our daughter and I can totally see it coming. People will see our daughter Neela, and they just get that look in their eye, that look of amazement ( you know cause our daughter is pretty amazing:) ) and they’ll just start smiling and making faces and talking to Neela and I’m just like, “Who are you?!” And typically if it is just me, I’ll just keep on walking and be like, “I don’t know you, you’re not touching my baby :)”. But not Jaya… Oh no, Jaya will hold Neela up, she’ll tell them how old she is, ask if they have kids and before I know it we are having them over for dinner :).
One time we were eating at a restaurant in downtown Dallas before we moved to Austin and Jaya has to run to the car with Neela to get a bottle. Well, on her way back this very friendly, intoxicated man says something to Jaya about how cute Neela is and is kind of gazing at her. And as Jaya is telling me this, I’m like “you didn’t stop did you?” And of course Jaya is like, “I had to!” I mean I didn’t let him hold her or anything, but I just talked to him for a bit and let him see Neela. Kinda crazy, but when you think about it thats what Jesus did… he walked where people walked, he talked with people as he went about his day. Here in John 4 Jesus just enters in to a conversation with this woman and before you know it, Jesus is in a spiritual conversation. He begins to talk about the living water that he offers, the relationship he offers… to opportunity to know her Creator in a personal way.
If we want to be a people of influence, if we want to be missional people… we have to spend some time meeting people where they are and engaging them in conversation.