Read John 4:1-12

“But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”

– John 4:12-13 (NLT)

As Jesus is speaking with the Samaritan woman, he engages with her around commonalities between their two different cultures. He continues the conversation until she brings up a spiritual idea, that the well they are at goes back to Jacob, the patriarch of the twelve tribes of Israel. Then Jesus goes into the heavier spiritual stuff, ending with the revelation that he is in fact the Messiah. In the same way, as we deal with those of a different (physical or spiritual) culture, we should be alert for common ground that we can use to bridge the gap between us and foster deeper spiritual conversations.