This is the genius of Jesus and why we need to listen to him carefully and watch how he acts. When he comes to the woman and he asks for that drink of water and she kind of pushes him off, “You’re going to ask me for a drink? I’m a Samaritan. Jews hate Samaritans; Samaritans hate Jews.” 

Exactly, Bishop Tom!  The first miracle in this story is that these two are even meeting.  According to the religious/social rules of their day there is no way they should even be talking with each other.  Yet again, Jesus ignores rules that are a burden and barrier to Grace.  He converts this Samaritan woman, and she in turn converts her whole village.  There are so many religious and social lessons here it is hard to absorb all of them.  Perhaps the first one is do not put up barriers between yourself and others based on religion or ethnicity.