Under the Fig Tree

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 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.’ When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’ And he said to him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’ John 1:43-51

As a child, our fig tree was my hiding place, a canopy of leaves and branches I could climb. I don't know if Nathanael was hiding or sitting in the shade, but I would have sat with him. He was an honest man, someone who spoke from the heart, and wasn't one to fall for fads or trends. A wise one. If we are honest with ourselves, we all seek those familiar hiding places to shelter us from the terrors of the day. We are living in time of terror and the ache to hide is real. Yet, no matter where we hide, we are loved and known. And we are called beyond our hiding places to bring love and light to the world.

Gracious Creator, you shaped hiding places

and homes of safety and support as we grow

so that we might be strong to face these days.

There is terror on our streets and neighborhoods

tyrants have become normal, violence as well

and we humans want to run away and hide.

Help us, dear Lord, to crawl out into the light

carrying your precious love with us as we go

so your creation might thrive and live once more. Amen.