Come and See… And Be Seen By Christ Epiphany 2 B: John 1:43-51 January 19, 2003 The Rev. Elizabeth H. Wheatley, Chaplain Church of the Resurrection, Starkville, Mississippi Two small boys were bathing in a tub. The mother came a-knocking at the door. The boys shrieked for fear that they would be seen. The mother said, "Cover your eyes and I will not see you." And so they covered their eyes… In his book, Servanthood, Bennett Sims, Bishop Emeritus of Atlanta expresses the value of "seeing" in a way which I think points to the power of today's reading from the Gospel of John: Among the tribes of northern Natal in South Africa, the most common greeting - the equivalent of "hello" in English - is the expression sawu bona. Literally it means "I see you." If you are a member of the tribe you might reply by saying sikhona, which translates into English as "I am here." The order of the exchange is significant. It means that until you see me I do not exist; when you do see me, you bring me into existence (p. 6, Servanthood). This may sound strange. Does it mean that if someone does not say to me, "Hello" or "I see you," and if I do not reply, "I am here," that I do not exist? In a certain sense, it does. Consider the experience of seeing someone waving from across the room. At first you think the person is waving at you, so you wave back. Then, you realize that the person is waving at someone else. Slight blush - Mild embarrassment - and an acute awareness that you were not the person in their sight. You were not the person they desired to see. In a certain sense, to the person who is waving, you do not exist. They do not see you, there is no connection and no relationship, at least at that moment. Or perhaps someone you know walks by and you say, "Hello." The person walks right past you without blinking an eye. Even if, logically, you come to the conclusion that they were preoccupied and there was no mal-intent, it is likely that within you experience a minor stab - "I've just been blown off." "Who am I? Chopped liver?" - a feeling of rejection, disconnection, isolation. You have not been seen. You do not exist. When a person acknowledges my presence by saying "hello," he or she is saying "I see you" and I experience what it means to be seen, to be valued. I experience the beginnings of what it is to be connected, to have my existence validated, to be a part of something larger than myself, to be loved. And in return, I acknowledge the connection and I value the relationship and the other person enough to grant them the consideration of a reply, an acknowledgment and awareness of their existence: "Hello. I am here." In that simple interaction, both persons are brought into existence in a new way, a connection is made, the beginnings of a relationship are formed. We are no longer alone. We are part of something larger. The interaction in today's Gospel reading is similar. A simple invitation is issued to Nathanael by Philip, "Come and see." There is nothing complex about the invitation, no bribes or coercion, no defense of faith. Simply, "Come and see." Nathanael responds to the invitation and comes to see Jesus. After a brief interaction that is not exactly positive or trusting, Jesus says to Nathanael, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." Jesus says, "I saw you…" And with that Nathanael knows that he is seen, he is valued, there is a connection, the beginnings of a relationship. He needs no other explanation, no other proof. To Jesus' simple acknowledgment, "I saw you…," Nathanael responds with a rather elaborate statement of faith, but at the core of his statement of faith he is simply saying, "Thank you for seeing me. I see you, too. I am here. I will follow you." There is something so valuable about the personal nature of the interaction. Nathanael, not unlike so many of us, does not trust or believe Philip's faith claim until he has seen it for himself. And so he says, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" as if to say, "Big deal. So what?" As far as Nathanael is concerned, Jesus does not exist. And even upon seeing Jesus, Nathanael is still not convinced: "Where did you get to know me?" as if to say, "Why should I believe you?" It is not until Nathanael hears Jesus say, "I saw you…" that Nathanael believes. It is not until Nathanael is sure that Jesus is waving to him, that Nathanael will wave back with enthusiasm. And in the simple interaction, Nathanael is brought into existence in a new way. He is seen. He is part of something larger than himself. There is something so valuable about one-on-one interactions, personal invitations, and personal encounters. There is something so valuable about someone saying to you, "Hello… I see you." To be seen is to be singled out as valuable. To be seen is to be assured that you are worthy of love. To be seen is to be embraced as part of God's creations…. as a child of God. May we hear Philip's invitation, "Come and see" and may we know that he is calling us to Come and see and to be seen by Christ, to be valued, to be connected, to be loved and brought into new relationship with God in Christ. May each of us hear Christ's words spoken to Nathanael, as to us, "Sawu bona" -- "I see you." And in return may we feel compelled to reply, "Sikhona" -- "I am here." Sawu bona… I see you.