Skepticism Abounds

John 1:43-51

In our increasingly electronic age we find ourselves bombarded with information of all sorts, much of which is dubious in nature. A healthy dose of skepticism is a necessity when opening an email, for example, or watching a political ad.

But what if we need to convey information to someone else? How do we overcome their doubts? The gospel of John offers insight on addressing skepticism. “Philip 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.’ Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see’” (John 1:45-46). Ultimately all Philip did to answer Nathanael’s question was to invite him to check it out. “Come and see,” he said.

The good news of Jesus Christ, as enlivened by the Holy Spirit, is capable of changing lives. In our efforts to share that good news we do not really need to be experts on complicated theological subjects. Imagine approaching your neighbor with the words, “Bob, I need a minute of your time to tell you about the Second Helvetic Confession and what a difference it can make in your life.” I don’t know about you, but most of the neighbors I’ve had are far more interested in personal stories of faith than ancient rubrics or constructs authored by long-dead academics. (There’s a place for such stuff, but it isn’t back yard barbeques.) Philip hit the nail on the head. When Nathanael scoffed at what he said, Philip simply challenged Nathanael to “come and see.” Sometimes that’s all it takes. Sometimes we need to let God deal with the skepticism and simply invite others to participate.

Prayer: Lord, give us the courage to share our faith in simple terms and to allow your Spirit to work through us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.