PODCAST
Send Others Right Over
July 24th, 2024
John 4:19-26
In passing conversation, someone said: “Red rover, red rover, send Nicholas right over.” The conversation partner wondered at the phrase. She had never heard it. She was then informed that it was an “old game,” and that seemed to satisfy her curiosity.
Do you remember that game? Two lines of children stand, hand-in-hand, facing each with a large space between the lines. Then one group calls an individual child over to see if he could “break through” the linked arms. Each line tries to keep the other out.
It’s our human inclination to determine who is in and who is out. We like to categorize everything, including people. We group people so easily: us and them.
God reaches out the other we would exclude. God offers grace and salvation to all who would believe. Too often, we fail to see the radical actions of Christ in this passage: Jesus was talking to a Samaritan woman! That was about as far “other” as one could get. Yet, Jesus wasn’t excluding her, but showing her where she could find the kingdom.
Ask to see with God’s eyes those around you.
Author: Stefanie Hendrickson
