by Laura DeVries, Program Director with onPrinciple
The Jerusalem International YMCA is often referred to as a ‘sermon in stone’, each column, wall, and relief tell a story.
Framing the soaring entrance are carvings depicting the Woman at the Well and a lamb – a symbol for Jesus Christ.
I’m reminded whenever I walk past this stone-sermon that goodwill between neighbors is practiced here and all are welcome to experience grace regardless of race, culture, class, or creed.
The story of Jesus’s encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well is surprising on many levels.
First, with a long history of racism and prejudice that was rooted in religious and racial stereotypes between Jews and Samaritans, travelers typically took the longer route around Samaria to avoid contact with each other. Jesus however, chose to walk straight through it!
Additionally, in this culture, a conversation between any Jew and an unknown woman would have broken social convention, and asking for water would have been understood as an invitation to be friends. Yet Jesus asks her for a drink!
We also know the woman was ostracized even before she shares her truth because women typically drew together in the cool morning but this woman came alone at high noon. Yet Jesus was completely undeterred by her questionable social status!
Practicing the Christian leadership principle of grace means extending favor to people whether they deserve it or not.
In this marginalized place and to this marginalized woman, Jesus extends grace, reaching past all human barriers into her thirsty soul and revealing that he is the long-awaited Christ.
Through grace, God’s mercy meets her brokenness and her life and eternity are profoundly changed.
As leaders who follow Jesus, we are compelled to cross human boundaries to extend grace to communities where prejudice, discrimination, and racism persist – to be intentional, regardless of, and sometimes because of social status, race, creed, or culture.
A great exchange can happen in a place of grace. Human brokenness can be exchanged for Christ’s righteousness. It is this Good News that lifts burdens, reconciles, restores, renews, and brings peace.
Pray with me:
Gracious God, give us eyes to see opportunities to reach across boundaries like Jesus, to love mercy, cling to truth, work toward reconciliation, bring healing and celebrate peace. Amen.
“Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but 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.”
The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.””
Gospel according to John, 4.13-15 NIV
This YMCA devotion series brought to you by onPrinciple – click here to learn more about it – a new leadership development program to strengthen the presence of Christ in the YMCA
Click here for the entire devotion series as a downloadable PDF booklet.
