Seeds of Justice: Devotions From a Legacy of Faith and JusticeNäide

Nearly 2,000 years ago, the Samaritan woman at the well asked Jesus, “Where can you get this life-giving water?” In 2025, women around the globe are still asking a similar question; “Where I can get this live-giving water?” Life-giving water is refreshing, replenishing, and refilling. In other words, life-giving water is water that is clean and safe. Clean and safe water is essential to eliminating hunger.

According to the United Nations’ World Food Program, some of the hungriest people in the world are women and children. Women and children experience hunger at rates higher than men. Sixty percent of the hungriest people in the world are women. When women have access to clean and safe water, not only is hunger eliminated, malnutrition is eliminated. Hunger involves more than not having enough food to eat; hunger also involves not having enough food with the proper nutrients. Clean and safe water allows small rural farmers to plant crops that yield healthy and nutritious food.

Water is a precious and vital resource necessary for our survival. This was true for the Jews of Jesus’s day, as it has been true throughout much of human history and culture. For Jesus and the Samaritan woman, water was a powerful symbol of life and sustenance. When Jesus offered her water, Jesus was offering her a new life. Jesus was offering her eternal life with God and an abundant, fulfilling life on earth. Jesus offered the Samaritan woman water that was clean and safe. Jesus offered her water that nourished her and her family. Jesus offered her life-giving water!

Probing Questions

• When Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman, Jesus was breaking with the status quo and breaking barriers. What traditional norms and barriers are you willing to break to end hunger?
• Factors such as climate change and uneven water distribution contribute to water remaining a scarce resource today as it was in the ancient Near East. What organizations can you and your faith community collaborate with to advocate for legislation addressing environmental justice and climate change?
• What specific measures will you implement to end hunger for women and children?

Music for Meditation

• “Fill My Cup, Lord”

Prayer:

God of all creation, thank you for sending your Son Jesus Christ to give us life-giving water that makes us whole; water that replenishes, refreshes and refills us when the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual droughts of life assail us. Amen!

Reverend Barbara Breland is the founding pastor of Destiny Temple of Faith United Church of Christ. She is a member of Pan African Women of Faith/Pan African Women’s Ecumenical Empowerment Network related to Bread for the World and World Council of Churches and the Co-Convener of its Resource and Capacity Work Group.

The excerpt was taken from A Legacy of Faith and Justice by Angelique Walker-Smith. Find this and other books on Friendshippress.org