Habits Are Hard to Break

As of January 1st, I no longer have a regular preaching gig.  This is a good thing.  After almost 25 years of weekly preaching I feel more than a bit crispy and tired. I'm ready for a change of pace from the weekly grind of sermon prep. But we all know habits are hard to break. So today, I found myself listening to a favorite lectionary podcast and jotting down a few notes. 

The text for this Sunday (Epiphany 2B) is John 1: 43-51. The pericope is a rich one for sure. Come and see and be transformed would certainly preach. Or unpack the question, "What are you looking for?" The same question asked of the soldiers at Jesus' arrest and of Mary in the garden following the resurrection.

I'm struck, or maybe stuck, on the question, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" The question reveals the community rivalry between Cana, Nathanael's hometown, and Nazareth. 

What is my Nazareth? Is it a neighborhood, a town, a region? What is that place or group or race where I just know nothing good can come because of my particular prejudices? It is a timely question to ponder.

After January 6th's assault on the US Capitol, the easy answer, for me anyway, is the "Trumpers." I suppose at one time it may have been the Tea Party, but even that wild deviation of the GOP seems to have morphed into something else...the Trumpers. 

Can anything good come out of the Trumpers? Historians will provide the big picture answer for our nation and world. But for me, here and now, I think the good will manifest itself in how I choose to move forward in love and compassion. The good will be in my choosing to say no to the sins of hatred, racism, and violence. The good will be in my choosing to love my country and its great diversity of people. The good will be found the witness to my faith in God, revealed through the grace of Christ in the waters of my baptism, and emboldened by the Holy Spirit. 

Can anything good come out of the Trumpers? Maybe...it's me.