A Simple Question

Published: Nov. 30, 2020, 8 a.m.

It is normal these days for our cities and suburban areas to be populated by people from various nations. So, what does reaching your world look like when you live amidst folks from India, Hong Kong, Somalia, and Guatemala? I went back to the Bible, John chapter 4, to see how Jesus handled a cross-cultural encounter. A Samaritan woman, coming to draw water from the well in Sychar, met Jesus who was sitting there alone. He opened the conversation with a very simple, everyday request, “Will you give me a drink?” When you want to begin a conversation with someone, ask a simple question – “What is the meaning of your name?” “What was your life like in your country of origin?” As you listen to the answers, make a mental note of something you can respond to and build on. Jesus did that and went on to reveal to the woman that He is the source of the living water she so desperately needed. He offered to quench her spiritual thirst. We can offer, through Jesus, that same living water. Let’s introduce our neighbors to Him. This is Luis Palau.