Saturday, March 12, 2011

Meditation for Saturday, March 12, 2011

Readings for the Day:

AM Psalm 30, 32; PM Psalm 42, 43;  
Deut. 7:17-26; Titus 3:1-15; John 1:43-51 

Come and See

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ ⁴⁴Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.’ ⁴⁶Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’

Much has been written about the mysterious Nathanael of this passage. What was he doing under the fig tree in the first place, and why did Jesus notice him? But I wonder about Philip just as much. I imagine him as an enthusiastic person who has a natural awareness of the people around him, and a practical talent when it comes to helping them.  In what appears to be about a half of a minute after meeting Jesus, Philip is out asking others to join Jesus. Nathanael’s snippy reply to his invitation, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” doesn’t seem to bother Philip at all. He doesn’t launch into a long monologue about Jesus.  He doesn’t argue with Nathanael. Philip simply invites Nathanael to “come and see”.

This passage reminded me of Howard Gardner’s latest book, Five Minds For the Future. In the book, Gardner sets out the personal abilities that everyone will need to thrive in the complex and globalized future. The respectful mind is the fourth mindset that Gardner discusses:

 “Recognizing that nowadays one can no longer remain within one’s shell or on one’s home territory, the respectful mind notes and welcomes differences between human individuals and between human groups, tries to understand ‘others,’ and seeks to work effectively with them. In a world where we are all linked, intolerance or disrespect is no longer a viable option.”

As I read today’s scripture, it is easy to see myself conversing in the manner of Nathanael, coming up with a flippant, prejudiced answer before considering the question carefully. As I begin this season of Lent, I’m pondering Philip’s more respectful conversational style.

I think there is great wisdom in Philip’s invitation, so I am inviting myself to hold off on snap judgments during these weeks of Lent, and simply come and see.

Julie Mankowsky