Mtr Margaret Babcock

Dear Friends,

We humans want to be seen.

It’s a universal need I discovered in community organization, the first step of which is relational meetings.

Here, the leader meets one on one to get to know a person at a deep level—diving past the history of where they’ve lived and worked, to discover what they truly care about, what makes them angry, what moves them to action.

Every relational meeting I had not only generated an appreciation for being listened to but also released energy. It was like a revelation: Someone has seen me, and so I’m empowered to be that person!

That’s what intrigues me about the call of Nathanael today (John 1:43-51).

When his friend Philip comes to tell him that he has found “the one” Moses and the prophets wrote about, Nate is disdainful. “C’mon, Jesus is from that hick town Nazareth,” he exclaims. Philip simply replies, “Come and see.”

So, he does.

And before he can even greet this stranger, Jesus notices him and exclaims, “There’s a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body.” (Remember, Jesus critiqued many religious leaders as hypocrites, so this was a big deal.)

Still, Nathanael is suspicious. He hasn’t even had a relational meeting with this guy yet. “How do you know me?” he challenges.

“Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

“I saw you…” That’s all Jesus had to say to evoke from Nate a response of complete commitment:  “Rabbi, you are the son of God; you are the king of Israel!”

I wonder, what did being seen under the fig tree mean to Nathanael?

Julian of Norwich had a vision once: She held something tiny as a hazelnut on her palm, realizing that it represented all creation. She heard the words, “It lasts and ever shall, because God loves it.”

Perhaps Nathanael had a similar mystical experience, and kept this glimpse of God’s love secret in his heart.

When Jesus revealed seeing him at this deep level, Nathanael understood Jesus was part of that vision. He was energized to embrace Christ, taking his place in the unfolding of God’s pattern.

This is the good news Jesus shares: God sees us at the core of our beings. Realizing we are known in love by God sets us free to commit all we are to following Christ.

Blessings,

—Mtr Margaret