Putting aside preconceptions and fears

 

But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”  [John 1:46]

I remember being extremely proud of a project I completed for work years ago that I was sure everyone was going to appreciate.  The immediate response to the project from those it was intended for was quite underwhelming.  Because of the lack of enthusiasm my project was met with, the air was let out of my sails, so to speak.  Then, a few weeks later, I started getting positive feedback from some of the employees for whom my project was targeted.  Our sales and profits grew in part because some of the more open-minded team members gave my ideas a chance.  That, in turn, gave me strength to keep coming up with more fresh ideas!

Have you ever gotten really excited about something, so excited that you couldn’t wait to share it with your friends or family?  You might even set up a special time to meet with them just to tell them about it.  Maybe it’s a book you’ve read, or a TV series that you fell in love with.  But, when you do share it with them, they respond in an indifferent manner.  Maybe they even dismiss it as being of no value at all, “I don’t read historical books,” or “Science Fiction has never interested me.” The feeling of letdown can be disappointing, even devastating.

Or perhaps you have been the dismissive one when someone shared something with you. I wonder sometimes if that is how God feels when he sees me turn away from His plan. Not that any of us know God’s plan in any detail, but with a well-formed conscious, you can usually tell when you’re slipping. God offers us a world where we can find love, by loving others. Where we can find compassion by being compassionate. Where we can find peace by sharing His peace. And yet we turn away to build up our own ego.

This brings me to my opening quote, taken from John’s account of the calling of the first disciples.  Nathaniel was dismissive of Jesus at first, but Philip gently prodded him, “Come and see.”  And, to his credit, Nathanael did not let his preconceived notions get in his way of following his friend’s request.  He followed Philip and met Jesus and he himself was amazed at what he found.

My prayer for myself and you today is that we will always be willing to put aside our preconceived notions of how the world should be, or the way that it is, and listen to God’s invitation us to help Him build His kingdom here on earth.