Friendship
Read John 4:1-42
Jesus and the
Samaritan Woman
What barriers are broken down in this
story? How does Jesus hold out the hand
of friendship?
Look particularly for the barriers of
race and religion, gender and morality.
Pray ...
You didn’t
know their names, Jesus
You didn’t
recognise their faces, Jesus
Yet you
reached out
to meet their
every need
bread to eat
a healing
touch
the look of
friendship, forgiveness and love
Help us,
Jesus
widen our
friendship
to those
whose names
we do not know
to those
whose faces
we do not recognise
in a world of
hunger
in a world of
need.
You knew what
hurt them, Jesus
the ache of
broken relationships
the pain of
violence and abuse
the fear of
rejection
Yet you were
not afraid, Jesus
to offer the
hand of friendship
Help us,
Jesus
widen our
friendship
and stretch
out our hand
in love and
acceptance
and support
to those who
know only rejection
You saw the
barriers, Jesus
you felt the
divisions, Jesus,
of faith and
religion,
of culture
and gender,
of politics
and race
and you broke
them down
Help us,
Jesus,
extend your
friendship
across the
barriers that divide our world
and bring
people together
in a spirit
of love.
You were
chosen, Jesus
God’s Spirit
was on you
to bring love
to the poor
to set the
burdened and battered free
May your
spirit of friendship
so live in us
that people
see in our lives
your
friendship for them
and know
that you are
Jesus forever the same.
Amen
