Tim Stafford writes on the Christianity Today website:

“Jews do not associate with Samaritans,” John says (4:9) in commenting on Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well. The two groups had a long and grievous history, like estranged family members. They had a partly shared worldview (both revered the Pentateuch, though in different versions), a shared point of origin (“our father Jacob,” as the woman put it to Jesus), and well-defined points of contention (where should you worship, at Mount Gerizim or Jerusalem?). They knew each other; therefore, they did not associate with each other.

Gospel-writer Luke tells us of the Samaritan village that refused hospitality to Jesus and his followers. Why? Because they were Passover pilgrims headed for Jerusalem. Samaritans didn’t like Jews doing their Jewish thing. James and John took the inhospitality for a religious affront; in fact, they were ready to firebomb the village (Luke 9:51–56). These groups had a familiarity that bred suspicion and mutual grudges.

So I sometimes find life in America. The problem is not that my religion is strange. The problem is that my religion is familiar. Like Samaritans and Jews, Christians and non-Christians have a partly shared worldview (our Western traditions, which include the Bible), a shared point of origin (Christendom), and well-defined points of contention (the exclusivity of Christ). We are familiar with what each other believes. We’re suspicious of one another. So we start off with a grudge.

You can read the full article here.

I thought his article presented an intriguing parallel. While no comparison is perfect, there are some compelling similarities between Samaria’s relationship to Judea and postmodernism’s to Christianity.

How can we communicate new ideas to the people of a culture that think they understand everything about us? who think that all our best qualities they already possess in purer form? who in their narrowness and prejudice can only see us as narrow and prejudiced?

How can we deal with a smug and cynical movement that seems determined to view all of us collectively in the disfigured, pretentious form of medieval European Christianity? that tries to recast moral imperatives as political jockeying? that gives more credit to Christians on the outer fringes than those who make up the greater portion of the fabric of faith?

Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well gives some important clues. One of them is that arguing is pointless. Interact. Meet needs. Speak plainly. Offer salvation.