Where Are You From?

Rev. Debbie Cato
Genesis 2:4b-15/John 1:35-51
Fairfield Community Church
June 11, 2023

Holy God, We don’t always know how to pray,  but you find use anyway. We don’t always know how to listen, but you are in our ears all the same. We don’t always know how to believe,  but you surround us with beauty, and we find ourselves held together in love. Where we come from there are so many distractions. Where we come from there is so much noise. Find us. Hold us. Be in these words. Help us hear. Amen

Where are You From?

 

Today we are starting a new series called “I’ve been meaning to ask…” It will take us through the next four weeks – all the way through the first Sunday in July.  Some of the best conversations start with good questions — questions we’ve been meaning to ask, questions that keep us curious, questions that deepen our relationships, and questions that lead us deeper into courage and connection. This series is from Sanctified Art, a small group of pastors that develop sermon themes and liturgy. I’ve used them before for Advent and Lent.

Sanctified Art crafted this worship series around four guiding questions: “I’ve been meaning to ask… Where are you from? . . . Where does it hurt? . . . What do you need? . . . and Where do we go from here?” As you can see, these questions aren’t surface level; they invite us to tell our stories, to share our pain, to really care for one another, and to dream about a new way forward together.[1]  An authentic way forward.  A faithful way forward.

Where are you from? This is our question for this week.  Where are you from?  I imagine you are all thinking geographically.  Most of you are from right here – Fairfield.  Or maybe Spangle or Waverly or Tekoa. You were born and raised right here.  Perhaps your parents were born and raised here, too.  Others are thinking of some other town they are from.  I was born in a small town in Minnesota – Springfield Minnesota.  That’s where I’m from. 

But lets think beyond geography and remember that we are all beloved Children of God. We are all made in His image. We are all shaped from the dust of the earth and the very breath of God. Each and every one of us  comes from the same place.  We were created by the same God. And though each of us is unique in looks and personality and the way we think, we are each made in the image of God.  Each one of us and every person that we encounter is a beloved child of God.  We are all from the same place.  We all come from God.

And yet, every one of us has a story to tell. Our stories are messy and beautiful, painful and hopeful.  Our stories are being written and rewritten over time. We learn so much more about one another, and our relationships deepen, when we commit to disrupting our assumptions and staying curious about one another.

To build connection and trust, we need to listen to each other’s stories and experiences to learn who and what has shaped us. To understand  why we think the way we think; why we believe the way we believe. We also need to feel seen and known for who we are. In this first week, let’s work to affirm the particularity of our identities while also acknowledging our common ground. Formed from the dust and God’s very breath in the garden of Eden, we have a common home, a shared birthplace, and a collective calling: to sustain and care for all of creation. The story of Jesus calling the disciples provides a helpful charge to “come and see” what the journey holds.[2]

The question, “Where are you from?” is sometimes coupled with assumptions, judgments, and even microaggressions—all of which can be exhausting and painful to receive. Our goal should be to acknowledge, disrupt, and release the assumptions we hold about others.

When I accepted the call to serve a church in Wyoming there was a member of the congregation who did not like me from the moment I arrived.  There was nothing I did or said – because she did not like me immediately.  She was always nitpicking at me.

I was leading a weekly Bible study during Advent that was well-attended.  She and her husband both came every week.  One night she stood up and completely out of context, she said, “I know that you are very liberal because you are from Washington.  Everyone in Washington is liberal.  You are all tree-hugging Democrats who approve of abortion.  You cannot approve of abortion and be a Christion so how can you be a pastor?”  She sat down and there was dead silence.

She made a lot of assumptions.  That I was liberal.  That everyone in Washington is liberal.  That I was a Democrat. That everyone in Washington is a Democrat.  That everyone  is a tree-hugger.  (whatever that is!) That I approve of abortion and that all Democrats approve of abortion and because everyone in Washington is a Democrat, everyone in Washington approves of abortions.  It was very painful to receive all those judgements so publicly.

In our passage from John, curiosity runs rampant, and Jesus is the primary focus of this curiosity. John has already known Jesus as the Lamb of God and he invites his disciples to meet him. The two disciples who follow Jesus apparently want to know where he is staying, but they ask questions only after he gives them permission. They are respectful of his space and enter it only at his invitation. It is the kind of healthy curiosity that is eager to engage others but is not intrusive.

The disciples call Jesus a Rabbi, a term that does not capture his true identity in John. Instead of answering their question (where are you staying?), Jesus says, “Come and you will see.” Jesus seems to suggest that the disciples called him Rabbi because they did not fully perceive him. They saw him as a great teacher, but he is so much more.  They just haven’t understood that yet. Jesus invites them to his place so that they can understand him. Jesus is inviting them to a deeper level of curiosity, one that entails a willingness to learn as well as unlearn prior assumptions. Such curiosity transcends superficial knowledge and requires greater investment of one’s time and resources.[3]

The disciples spend the day with Jesus and then, after that day, they call him Messiah. They have a new understanding of who Jesus really is.  After getting to know him deeper, their idea of who Jesus is changed.  Curiosity is contagious. Andrew, who followed Jesus, introduces him to his brother Simon. Philip introduces Jesus to Nathanael, who wishes to know if anything good can come out of Nazareth. “Come and see,” says Philip. The subtext is: “Don’t arrive at premature conclusions about anyone, or define them based on insufficient knowledge.” Curiosity is also a two-way street. Nathanael hears about Jesus and approaches him, but Jesus had already learned about him enough to call him a person without deceit.[4]  Relationships go both directions. 

The privilege of being a pastor is I get to listen to stories.  I get to be curious and go deeper into your lives and your experiences.  But I would challenge you that even with those you have known all your life, and those you have only known as neighbors and community members, there is so much to each of our lives that is awe-inspiring.

How do we cultivate a deeper curiosity that grants a fuller understanding of others, especially those who look, dress, and think differently?  It requires investment of sufficient time and resources to learn about them, a commitment to unlearning prior assumptions when needed, and a healthy curiosity that engages others while respecting their space.[5]

May we be a faith community full of authentic, non-intrusive curiosity so that our relationships grown deeper and more meaningful remembering that we are all from the same place – we all come from God.  Amen.

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[1] Sanctified Art.  “I’ve Been Meaning to Ask” series. 
[2] Sanctified Art.  “I’ve Been Meaning to Ask.”
[3] Dr. Raj Nadella, The Samuel A. Cartledge Associate Professor of New Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, GA
[4] Dr. Raj Nadella, The Samuel A. Cartledge Associate Professor of New Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, GA
[5] Dr. Raj Nadella, The Samuel A. Cartledge Associate Professor of New Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, GA