As they went up the hill to the town, they met some girls coming out to draw water, and said to them, “Is the seer here?” They answered, “Yes, there he is just ahead of you. Hurry; he has come just now to the town, because the people have a sacrifice today at the shrine. As soon as you enter the town, you will find him, before he goes up to the shrine to eat. For the people will not eat until he comes, since he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those eat who are invited. Now go up, for you will meet him immediately.” So they went up to the town. As they were entering the town, they saw Samuel coming out toward them on his way up to the shrine.
Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be ruler over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines; for I have seen the suffering of my people, because their outcry has come to me.” When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you. He it is who shall rule over my people.”
In every age
in every place
women gather
collecting water
sharing wisdom
greeting friends
and strangers
building community
Unnamed women
gathered around a well
directed a future king
to the prophet who would anoint him
participating in changing the covenant
of God with the people.
And still today
wherever women gather
stories are shared
friends and strangers are welcomed
and the threads of a community
are woven
into a common strand
that forges connection
and growth
as a new chapter is written
by the women at the well.
Love that illustration Liz and yes the Lord gave women an honoured place in his company and that was very much against a background where the oppposite was true.
ReplyDelete