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Next week, we’ll step into a remarkable encounter in the Gospel of John: Jesus at the well with the Samaritan woman. This story is about a lot more than water. It’s about love cutting across boundaries, revealing God’s way in places we least expect, and calling us into a deeper, bolder life of justice and truth. 

Maybe you’ve felt it. The gray skies, frozen ground, the heaviness of a long season. And yet, even in this chill: love can break through. Just last week, my neighbor knocked on our door, holding a plate of dinner, and asked if we wanted to share it with her. She couldn’t have known, but it was one of those evenings where I was exhausted, and we didn’t have time to cook. And there she was, knocking on our door with warm food and an offer of connection. That small exchange, just a shared moment of care, felt like a glimpse of the living water Jesus offers: love breaking through barriers, unexpected and generous, arriving right when it’s needed most. 

Jesus starts a conversation with a woman who shouldn’t have even been there in the eyes of society, crossing ethnic, gender, and social boundaries. He offers her living water that is abundant, unearned, and life-giving. And through that encounter, she becomes a messenger, carrying the good news to her whole town. God’s path, revealed in Christ, moves where we least expect it. 

In our world filled with blatant injustices and voices trying to divide us, this story is more urgent than ever. Love doesn’t retreat into comfort; it moves boldly into the spaces that need it, naming truth without dehumanizing, calling for justice without demonizing. It’s about courage: seeing the realities of our time and acting, guided by love. 

We are invited to follow Christ step by step, trusting that love illuminates the path, teaching us how to live faithfully in a world that is sometimes cold, fractured, and harsh. God’s love shows us the way to speak truth, build bridges, and offer living water to our neighbors, starting right here in our community. 

Come ready to engage, to be challenged, and to be reminded that Christ’s way is not hidden. It moves, it reaches, it transforms, and it calls us to follow. In the midst of winter, we see clearly, act boldly, and live rooted in love. 

Peace, 

Pastor Katie