Jesus acts to include and dignify the “outsider,” reaching out cross-culturally and across gender divides
He says, “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.
Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Jesus of Nazareth, Gospel according to John, 4:14
Division. Exclusion. Shame.
All over the world and in our own communities, we see how divided and separated we are.
Wherever you go, it seems that there are insiders and outsiders.
Sometimes we ourselves have been the outcast and felt the pain of exclusion.
What is it that humanity is thirsting and longing for?
What will finally fix what is so clearly broken
God said through the prophet Jeremiah saying: “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” (Jeremiah 2:13)
As long as we insist on our own cisterns, we will continue to struggle as a society and as individuals.
Without God, we are broken and cannot put ourselves back together.
The good news is that God came to repair our hearts and heal every- thing that divides us.
Through Jesus Christ, God offers living waters of healing and welcomes the outsiders and restores dignity to the outcast.
REFLECTION POINTS
When you think about your own community, what are the sources of greatest division?
What are some examples of people who are often excluded, isolated, and outcast?
When you think about your own life, how have you felt separated from others before?
Who is someone who reached out and made a difference?
When you think about your own heart, what are the things that have separated you from God?
What are you thirsting and longing for?
What does it look like to receive Living Water?
PRAYER OF BLESSING
Dear God,
Thank you for coming to seek us out and bridge the divide that separates us from you.
Thank you for restoring the brokenness of our lives and bestowing dignity on us in Christ.
We confess that there are many things that divide us from one another and give rise to hatred or indifference.
Lord, give us eyes to see those who are excluded and alone.
Give us a heart that is transformed by your grace like the Samaritan woman.
And give us the courage to reach out and share your love with others.
We ask you for a dramatic shift in our society– that even long-held animosity and strife may be healed.
Help us to be instruments of your peace and bringers of Living Water so that others may drink deeply from a relationship with you.
We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Please share any thoughts, insights or recorded actions that come as a result of today’s devotion on social media using the hashtag: #WWOP21
Writing Team: Rev. Bjorn Dixon, USA; Christine Becker, Germany; Nicole Kaul, England; Matt Merkling, USA; Ephraim Nashaat, Egypt.
If you are on Instagram, I highly recommend you follow @ymcairelandchaplaincy – they post inspiring content and are participating in the World Week of Prayer with daily posts and videos.
