Living like Nathanael.
This week, we hear the first of two weeks of Jesus calling his disciples to follow him. Right off the back, Jesus faces resistance in people following him. To the super-excited Philip, Nathanael says, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"
Maybe Nathanael is just sarcastic by nature, but I hear in his response a bit of skepticism, one who is cautious in jumping on the bandwagon too quickly, maybe even one who is resistant to changing his mind, even if the news is good.
Yet, skepticism is not a bad thing. As an engineer, I used it as a tool to refine theories and formulas in the field of high-energy physics. Skepticism is maybe something born into us. I can't recall how many times my kids asked me when they were very young...Why? Why should I take a bath? Why should I eat my broccoli? Why? And, Lutherans are maybe some of the most theologically skeptical folks out there. If we have let Luther's small catechism shape and soak into us enough, we find ourselves asking a familiar refrain of scripture alongside the world..."what does this mean?" I believe this faith-filled question can draw us not only closer to the heart of God...but to our neighbor whom God loves.
Nathanael didn't let his skepticism dig his feet in. When Philip responded with "come and see," Nathanael vulnerably put one foot in front of the other...making himself open to seeing God in the world in ways he hadn't imagined before.
We find ourselves living in the internet age...but in many ways it's also has brought about a new age of skepticism for pretty much everything. Skepticism makes having conversations with others harder. It makes putting on the shoes of others uncomfortable and at time near impossible. We treat different perspectives like leprosy these days, something to avoid at all cost. Skepticism can make us feel like we are right and others are off the rails.
So, maybe living like Nathanael is to not simply try to cast away our skepticism, but instead be willing to come and see what God is up to in the life of others, especially those who feel like oil to our water...those we don't know how to mix with.
As we prepare to inaugurate another president this coming week, may this also be a time to inaugurate a new way of living together and for others, to not be afraid to live like Nathanael.
God be with you all dear church as you strive to follow Jesus.
Peace,
Pastor Vanicek
