Have you ever found yourself criticizing a place you live in or someone you know without giving them a chance? Or you’ve heard others talk about how terrible a place is, and it’s become your opinion too. It’s easy to fall into this trap. What if we gave those places and people a chance and looked at them differently?
Recently, I had a conversation with someone cleaning up the street on their own time and expressing how terrible the area was. I found it ironic that they were making the place better by cleaning it, but I still thought it was a bad place. After some chatting, we agreed to disagree. I started thinking about how easy it is to be down on the areas we live in and even ourselves in them.
This week’s Gospel reading tells the story of Nathanael, who had a similar negative view of Nazareth. When Philip tells Nathanael that he has found the one Moses wrote about in the Law and the Prophets – Jesus of Nazareth – Nathanael is sceptical and says, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Philip insists that Nathanael come and see for himself. When Jesus sees Nathanael approaching him, he declares he is a true Israelite with no deceit. Nathanael is amazed and asks how Jesus knows him. Jesus answers, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” This convinces Nathanael that Jesus is indeed the Son of God.
Nathanael’s initial reaction to Nazareth was adverse, but he quickly changed his mind once he met Jesus. This passage is an excellent reminder that we should not judge people or places based on preconceived notions. We should always be open to new experiences and people and not let our biases blind us.
We all have our “Nazareth” – the places we look down on or people we judge without knowing them. But what if we examined our responses to them and gave them a chance? We can better understand our faith through personal encounters with God and his people. God is working in our world in unexpected places. If we look out for it, we join in with his actions.
Focusing on what is good and true is an essential reminder of where God wants our minds. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” When we focus on those things, we encourage them, notice them, and, importantly, promote them in our lives and world, building a better world with God.
So let us not be like Nathanael and judge before we know, but rather be open to new people and experiences. Let us seek personal encounters with God and where he is working that will deepen our faith and understanding. Have you seen something extraordinary, holy, or exciting in an unexpected place? What place or person do you look at and wonder what good can come from that? Can you ask God to open your eyes to something unexpected?
The area we live in is wonderful it needs celebrating.