What Is Invading The Crack In Our Witness?

The passage that caught my imagination is from the Gospel of John:

‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’

Before I go any further I need to say that I am using Nathanael’s question out of context.  Which, actually, has to do with the general option of the town of Nazareth in those days.  However, the question does have to do with the one who was raised in that non-important place.

The setting for Nathaniel’s question is when Jesus was in Galilee; and He called Philip to be one of his disciples.  Philip went to tell Nathanael about this news.(Jn.1:43-51)  

Nathanael’s reply was a bit flip: ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’

And my mind began to wonder.  

My thoughts went to a place I usually don’t go — to all the terrorism, school shootings, power struggles among nations,  political  character assassination and just the overall need for greediness.

These activities fly in face of all that Jesus came to earth to bring -- peace on earth and goodwill to all people -- and what He came to teach.  

Nathanael’s question brings up some honest wonder.  It mirrors the questions often ask in other forms today.

My question is:  Has Jesus, who came out of Nazareth, had any impacted on the world population living in today’s world?  

I have to wonder if people will ever give God’s way of living a chance.

And even as my fingers move across the keyboard, writing those wonders, my mind is hearing: ‘I know I know there are millions of people who spend their lives trying to follow the teaching of God/Jesus.  

And those who follow humanitarianism, whose core values have to do with human welfare, but not necessarily involving God’s purpose.  

The majority of the world’s population are good and honest people.  

I honestly know this!  

It is just that the vocal minority make it difficult for others who want to live peaceful and caring lives.

Years ago one of the confirmation students came into my office for her pre-confirmation visit.  She sat across from me and, with a nervous voice, said:  “I don’t believe in God or Jesus.  If God were real people wouldn’t be so mean and hurtful.  I am not going to be confirmed; because I don’t believe all the things you have taught us.”

There was a pain in her face that gave me caution.  After a moment I quietly said, “Well, if people behaved, and spoke, as Jesus asks, then there wouldn’t be mean people in the world.  Would there?”

I did not try to change her mind.  Oddly enough, I was very proud of her for telling “the pastor” such a hard truth.  She was brave and I told her so.

She wasn’t part of the confirmation that next Sunday.

It was only later that I learned that she had been abused by one of her parents.  Parents who were in church almost every week and seem relatively ‘nice.'

Don’t you wonder how that all works?   

It certainly make me wonder.

It also make me wonder how we who have confirmed our faith — whether in a service of confirmation or not — have fail to communicate what we believe so fully.  

How it is that we have failed to be enough for those who come?

  

Jesus left us with a critical call to be his model for the tiny part of the world we live in. That call is of extreme importance to me.  

And yet that young girl didn’t believe what I taught.  Didn’t feel God’s love.

What is the loudest message that she, and others, are hearing?

What is it that blocks the truth of God from people who search?

How is so much hostile/damaging behavior invading the cracks in our witness?

I am thinking that it is not just the violent actions that cause people to wonder about the reality of God. 

It is also the more subtle acts, and ways of speaking, that demean and destroy