Gradually the Samaritan woman comes to realize that the one who has asked her for a drink is able to slake her own thirst. We need to realize that, to plumb the depths of the mystery of God, we need one another, we need to encounter one another and to challenge one another under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who harmonizes diversities and overcomes conflicts. Christian unity will not be the fruit of subtle theoretical discussions in which each party tries to convince the other of the soundness of their opinions. So many past controversies between Christians can be overcome when we put aside all polemical or apologetic approaches, and seek instead to grasp more fully what unites us, namely, our call to share in the mystery of the Father’s love revealed to us by the Son through the Holy Spirit. He speaks instead of the meaning of true worship: “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (Jn 4:24). Jesus does not side with the mountain or the temple, but goes to the heart of the matter, breaking down every wall of division. The woman of Sychar asks Jesus about the place where God is truly worshiped. In this way, we already begin to experience unity. To understand one another, and to grow in charity and truth, we need to pause, to accept and listen to one another. His example encourages us to seek a serene encounter with others. Jesus is patient, respectful of the person before him, and gradually reveals himself to her. His thirst, however, is much more than physical: it is also a thirst for encounter, a desire to enter into dialogue with that woman and to invite her to make a journey of interior conversion. Weary from his journey, Jesus does not hesitate to ask the Samaritan woman for something to drink. His attitude tells us that encounter with those who are different from ourselves can make us grow. He has no problem dealing with Samaritans, who were considered by the Jews to be heretics, schismatics, separated. The Pope’s words during Vespers at the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Wall On his way from Judea to Galilee, Jesus passes through Samaria.