Title: At the Wellspring: Jesus and the Samaritan Woman  Author: Brother John of Taizé  ISBN: 0-8189-0892-0  Paperback: xii + 93 pp.  Price: $9.95 + shipping  To Order call:  1 800-343-ALBA (2522)  Please have your Master, Visa  or American Express card ready. To order online click here.

At the heart of the Christian faith is a person who has a unique relationship with the Mystery at the heart of all existence because he is the only Son of God -- Jesus of Nazareth. His encounter with an unnamed Samaritan woman at a well in the town of Sychar (modern-day Nablus) reveals more about God and his "thirst" for a human response to the love he freely gives than is readily apparent in a cursory reading of the text in St. John's Gospel. After a preliminary section which situates the theme of wells and water in the global context of the Hebrew Scriptures, the book follows St. John's narrative step by step to the conclusion expressed in the words of the townspeople of Sychar: "We know that [Jesus] is truly the savior of the world." Thus a seemingly chance encounter beside a well in Samaria is shown to be charged with ultimate consequences for the entire world.

 

Brother John, a native of Philadelphia, joined the Community of Taizé, France in 1974 where he spends much of his time giving Bible introductions to the young adults who come there for week-long meetings. In the 1980's he was part of a small group of Taizé brothers living in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan, and he frequently travels throughout the United States for meetings and retreats. His several writings on Scripture and spirituality have been translated into over ten languages and include The Adventure of Holiness (Alba House, 1999).  Reviews "This small volume needs to be on the bookshelf of every Christian; to be read and reread until the story becomes a part of oneself. Brother John has taken a familiar story, and through his unique, refreshing and thought-provoking translations of Holy Scripture, made the story come to life. The reader is there at the well, able to see and hear the exchange in person between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. Brother John begins with the premise that is found in John 1:18: "No one has ever seen God; the only son, pressed against the Father's bosom, has made him known." And he ends with the fact that Jesus is the "living water" he offers the Samaritan woman. This small volume, properly used, is an excellent help to understanding the Scriptures. Work will be required, but the sure rewards are well worth the effort. --Charles M. Browne in Pastoral Life, October 2001 Top of Page