... Start with one small step.
You have heard that adage before, no doubt. No
matter how big the journey or task, no matter how unpleasant or even how
uncertain, you have to start … somewhere.
Sometimes you know where you are going and how to
get there. But sometimes not. Nonetheless, if you want to reach your destination,
you have to keep going, no matter how uncertain you are.
Today’s reading is John 1:43-51. Jesus had just
been baptized and was now ready to begin his mission. His mission, of course, was
to found his Church. He had to begin somewhere.
His first step was to get 12 disciples to follow
him. A good leader, after all, needs followers. Jesus got followers, although
there were not necessarily “good”. In the reading, Jesus recruits Nathaniel.
To Nathaniel, Jesus' mission, if he even understood
it at that moment, must have seemed impossible.
He asked Jesus (of Nazareth), “Nazareth! can anything good come from
there?”
Nazareth was the equivalent of a hick town: simple
and unsophisticated. Jesus' hometown, it is not even mentioned in the Old
Testament. Worse yet, the Zealots, who wanted to overthrow Roman rule, were from
the general region. Calling someone a Nazarene could also imply that person was
a political enemy of Rome.
Jesus started the early Church one person at a
time. He had to start somewhere. And today we know how successful he has been,
with well over one billion followers!
We are all on a journey, whether we know it or
not. In fact, we may be on several, intersecting, journeys. My journey as a
father was intimidating at first. My journey into the work force was exciting.
My journey with Christ has been filled with ups and downs.
In all three cases, I did not always know where to
start and then necessarily knew what the next steps were. Yet by taking the
next step, sometimes the wrong next step, I eventually made progress.
What journeys are in your life? What does your
journey with Jesus look like?
What is your next step?
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