Prompt thought of the week:
The Samaritan woman at the well found out that the water she came for was not really the water she needed so desperately. This woman had looked for love in many places, in many faces, and when finally offered a soul-quenching love by Jesus, she became a powerful messenger of Good News. Just as the water given by God that flowed in the desert for the Israelites offered new life, the desert of our lives can be refreshed if we look for love regularly at the well of living water and offer life-giving water to others.
Love has often been called the first rule of spiritual life. As we awaken to love we learn that all of God‘s creation is full of objects for us to love. A sunset repeats the creative energy at work in our world today. It appears briefly, invites our love, and slowly fades away only to be repeated in a new form the next day. The color and markings on a little bug may inspire our love, as well as the smell of moist earth and the excitement of a Broadway musical, the craftsmanship of a well-made tool, or the look of warmth on a friend’s face. All of these are opportunities for us to feel our love. We often feel awkward in expressing our love. Perhaps we are so self-conscious and guarded that we brace ourselves against saying or doing anything that wouldn’t look good. Honesty and learning how to resolve difficulties provide a solid foundation for durable love. The love that endures, the love of real intimacy comes when we know the real person. Loyalty to our loved ones may deepen as we deal more and more with reality.
I pray for the courage to be honest with myself and to stand up for who I am with my friends. Also I will let honesty guide me in this adventure of my love. Amen.
Robert Peck