Come and see…

January 14, 2024

Scriptures: John 1:43-51

         ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’, Nathanael asks. ‘Come and see’, replies Philip. The challenge has gone forth…‘We have seen the Lord!’  The doubting one asks, ‘Can it really be as you say?’ The challenge continues, ‘Come and see for yourself.’

We are all called to share the Jesus that by the power of the Holy Spirit, is within ourselves, And we are called to do so in such a way that it is both possible and inviting for others to love this God of which we give witness. And that is possible, because somehow, almost magically, there is a real resonance between the presence of the ‘holy’ within us, and the ‘holy’ that is within others. When we truly let the Spirit be involved in how we receive and cherish one another, the holiness of the moment speaks on its own of the goodness of God’s love…for people can sense goodness when they see it, and when they feel it within their heart.

Sometimes people are helped or held very close without knowing at that moment that it is in fact Jesus they are seeing both in and through us…through our actions and witness of grace and love. Sometimes the witness of the Lord within us doesn’t even need a single word.

‘Come and see’, Philip said to Nathaniel… ‘Come and see what I have found’. We are called to live a life that echoes these words. We have a responsibility, as part of our own walk in faith, to say, ‘Come, come and see…I have someone to show you’. But what is the most effective way to do this? We all have had experience with people who are giving a testimony or witness out on the street. And many times we have seen the crowd turn their head to the side and hurry on, as though working hard to get past this ‘interruption’ in their daily life. 

How is it then, that we are supposed to ‘share’ our faith effectively? What in fact is a ‘godly’ witness in this day and age? How are we to show this amazing love of our God to others in a way that draws them to Jesus rather than turns them away?  What is the actual visible content of a faithful witness?  It may be easier to say what it is not, but I think it is helpful to review both. We need to know what causes people to turn away from God, just as much as we need to know how to reach into the depth of their heart…and their hurt.

To be sure, effective outreach is not to be found in beating people over the head with one’s ‘personal theology’, or ‘bible-speak’.  For many have already been severely wounded by the church at large, and more beating about the head and shoulders with new, different, or supposedly ‘better’ theology will only push them further away. Being overly concerned with correcting someone’s ideas or beliefs, or spending a lot of time trying to determine if someone has ‘said, or done all the right things’ to ensure that they are saved is surely not the way either. In fact, sharing the love of our God effectively in this day and age may require a whole new set of instructions.

Which reminds me of a conversation I once had at a Presbytery meeting. We were talking about the state of the church and what seemed to be an emerging understanding that faith as a whole had become less important, and how many folks didn’t see real value in the practice of faith anymore. The understanding of the faith one’s parents may have had just did not seem to work for them any longer, just did not come across as having any real value to them. They already had plenty to do between work and other commitments, and Sunday mornings just seemed better spent as family time.

And as we spoke, it was also shared that this loss of the value of faith might be related to their understanding of the nature of God…to their understanding of who God is, and of what God is like. It seems that for many, God starts off as a God of stern judgment and a God of correction. A God who has set impossibly high standards and a God without much patience for any imperfection. Basically a God who expects followers to blindly accept the faith without question or investigation, expecting them to live up to the demands of a faith that in truth, is far from the loving invitation Jesus extended. Which unfortunately is something that seems more common than ever these days. In fact, for many, ‘love’ is often only a secondary characteristic of their God. Rather, ‘God’s love’ for them takes the form of love-as-discipline, rather than as a wildly passionate, can’t do without you, kind of love.

And for many, in particular younger individuals, the picture of a stern Father God just does not scare them anymore. They are more interested in going around this type of God, more interested in trying all on their own to live a life with real love, as well as purpose and meaning. They find meaning and purpose in human to human relationships, and in investing their hopes, hearts, and their pocketbooks in pressing needs and causes that are dear to them.

The old, stern, Father God figure has long been a source of pain and injury for many…a God many people have run away from. And unfortunately, this is the ‘God’ that too often is the subject of contemporary Christian witnessing. It is no wonder that so many have left the church. It is no wonder that this approach to faith has lost value in the eyes and hearts of so many.

So what in the world is godly and effective witnessing in this world we live in?  How on earth are we supposed to find and reach those who have already ‘left the building’? How are we to show who it is we follow, and to show who it is that we belong to.

First of all, we must not lose sight of the fact that faith, is a walk alongside of our Lord. We follow one who knows our strengths and our weaknesses…and one who is with us each and every time we seek to share our faith and reach out in love to another. We do not need to be perfect in our witness, we just need to be in communion and fellowship with the Lord as we do so. In this way, the message we give will be the message that is needed, for only God knows exactly what another needs to hear. It is a partnership born of and sustained by love.

‘Effective witnessing’ of the love of our God therefore, is the actual sharing and offering of love in any and all ways we are led by the Spirit. It truly is simply saying, ‘Come and see…I have something to show you’…after that it is a joint venture.

I have long been accused of being a ‘glass half full’ or perhaps even ‘full-full’ kind of person…as an optimist and idealist, even as one who is unrealistic in what I see as the power of love, and the strength and ability of loving hearts and loving people. I have long spoken of the ‘Day of our Lord’, a coming time of true peace and goodness, that time of the ‘Blessed Community’ that was first mentioned in the cry of the prophets, and then echoed by many martyrs throughout history. I have been accused of being narrow minded and totally blind to the power of evil that runs rampant throughout the world raining down death and destruction at every turn.

And yes, it is true that I stand as one who refuses to just stand by and wring my hands at what seems impossible to overcome. And that is because, somehow I still believe that the love of our God will ultimately be seen as the answer we are all seeking. And that…that is because I have seen the amazing ability of love to transform human life, I have seen the power of love light up the darkest of places, bringing hope and peace into the very middle of pain and grave defeat.  And, perhaps even more importantly, I believe I have seen the image of God as it truly is, as well as how it is so often terribly and wrongly portrayed. Along with Philip, I want to share the goodness I have seen, as well as the good news that the day in which humanity finally finds blessed community and love is within our grasp. I want to share that the fulfillment of God’s purpose and will, waits only on our willingness to pursue and lift up the love and merciful grace that is our God.

But how is it possible to move such mountains of bitterness, anger, even hatred and hurt in order to clear the way for the grace of God to shine into the darkness and begin to bring about much needed change?  Truly how can any one of us make a difference? It seems unreal to imagine that all of the warring and murderous evil going on in so many places would in any way be willing to just stop…or that any would truly be willing to just lay down their weapons of war, so someone else could refashion them into pruning hooks and other tools to use in tending a newly formed community garden for all. But that is the promise we find in our scriptures.

True, loving and Godly community is within reach. Living for a God of love alone, makes it possible to imagine a day of real and lasting worldwide peace. But it also requires an incredible and lasting ability to forgive those who may have done, or seek to do us harm, which is something that requires real work and commitment. Truly we can learn to live in such a way that the visible witness we show to others, is that of one who knows, follows, and demonstrates the life and love of Jesus.

And so the challenge goes out again, if we have seen the Lord at work around us…then we must offer the same invitation as Philip, we too must say, ‘Come and see’.

The Jesus I know…is in you…I pray that the Jesus in me be ever more visible…

…amen