Archive for March 3, 2010
Sharing the water
Lenten reflection week 3
The fact that she was coming to the well in the noonday sun was a tipoff. The “respectable” women of the village all came out in the cool of the morning to draw their water and gossip. So, being one of the more popular subjects of their gossip, this Samaritan woman preferred to come at noon when nobody else was supposed to be around.
Except that day, somebody else was around – Jesus. He was sitting right there by the well where she couldn’t avoid him. And just when she had decided to quickly get her water and get out of there before anybody saw her alone with this Jewish man (the last thing she needed with her reputation), he had the nerve to ask her for a drink of water!
She could have ignored him. She could have waited for him to leave. She could have turned around and gone home. But there was something about this stranger that compelled her to engage with him in conversation. That choice made all the difference.
What follows in this marvelous story from John’s Gospel (John 4:5-42) is a tale of living water, of death to the mistakes of the past, and a community transformed through the leadership of its least likely member. And all because one man asked one woman for a drink – and because that woman had the courage to push her comfort zone and make a graced connection.
At CFCA, we like to say we see potential instead of poverty. We learned that from Jesus, who always managed to see through the trappings and the labels into the true heart of a person. It really doesn’t take any special ability to do that, but it does take faith.
So, who’s asking you for a drink of water today?
March 3, 2010 at 2:06 pm Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) 3 comments
Early report indicates no CFCA fatalities
An early report from staff members in Chile indicates that there have been no fatalities among sponsored members. Our staff will continue to assess the situation of families impacted by the quake and send a more detailed report at a later date.
The report also said that a day center where aging members ate breakfast and lunch and took handicraft and art workshops is uninhabitable. As a result, the sponsored elderly will receive their nutritional benefits at another location and all workshops have been postponed until a new location is identified.
And finally, Sara Leiva, the Valparaiso project coordinator, said that sponsors with friends in Chile should keep in mind that letters both in and out of the country will be delayed. Some letters may arrive late or coated with earthquake dust. For now, the staff’s top priority is to assess and respond to the current needs of the families.
For more information, read the full news story on our website.
March 3, 2010 at 9:35 am Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) 2 comments
