Prophets in their Homeland
“For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his native place.” (JN 4:44)
But, why? As I went through the readings for today, this question of why kept resurfacing in my mind. Why are prophets, or stated another way, people with challenging, new ideas perceived to lack honor or integrity in their homeland? Today's Gospel details an interesting tension within this question. The Gospel recounts Jesus’ travels to Galilee where he is welcomed, and it also mentions that those that welcomed him were present to witness the wonders at the feast in Cana. To me, this begins to answer the original question of why but within the answer is a reciprocal question of how we define our own faith. Do we only have faith or perceive honor and integrity in those that produce tangible results? Many times I would fall into this group of lacking faith without having witnessed something tangible. Jesus perceives the same in those he comes across when he bluntly states “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” (JN 4:48) Of course, belief without proof is at the very heart of faith.
A concept that I tie very closely to faith and something that can be practiced on a daily basis is the presupposition of goodwill. For me, presupposing goodwill in others is something that I constantly have to work on. Doubt, at times, is a key factor in my thought process and something that takes effort for me to regulate or suppress in certain situations. This perspective of presupposing goodwill has provided a refreshing balance for me. As obvious as the benefits seem in assuming goodwill in others and not doubting them, this is something that I had to learn the hard way through trial and error. Who would have thought that assuming people are coming from a good, honest place would lead to improved openness, collaboration and relationships with others?
Ultimately, it seems to me the answer to the original question of why those with challenging ideas lack honor and integrity in their native place may have more to do with the shortcomings of others in their homeland rather than the failings or imperfections of the prophet. It could be that the community simply does not want to change. Whatever the reason for the resistance from the community, if analyzed, I think it would boil down to a lack of presupposing goodwill or lack of faith in the individual with the new idea. It’s a reminder to me to keep an open mind and be cognizant of my own biases and shortcomings as I need to continually work on my own faith and openness to growth and change. For me, it’s important because I truly feel that new ideas and challenging norms are a way forward for us as communities, but it takes openness, respect and goodwill in our communications and actions between ourselves to achieve this sort of fruitful progress.
A concept that I tie very closely to faith and something that can be practiced on a daily basis is the presupposition of goodwill. For me, presupposing goodwill in others is something that I constantly have to work on. Doubt, at times, is a key factor in my thought process and something that takes effort for me to regulate or suppress in certain situations. This perspective of presupposing goodwill has provided a refreshing balance for me. As obvious as the benefits seem in assuming goodwill in others and not doubting them, this is something that I had to learn the hard way through trial and error. Who would have thought that assuming people are coming from a good, honest place would lead to improved openness, collaboration and relationships with others?
Ultimately, it seems to me the answer to the original question of why those with challenging ideas lack honor and integrity in their native place may have more to do with the shortcomings of others in their homeland rather than the failings or imperfections of the prophet. It could be that the community simply does not want to change. Whatever the reason for the resistance from the community, if analyzed, I think it would boil down to a lack of presupposing goodwill or lack of faith in the individual with the new idea. It’s a reminder to me to keep an open mind and be cognizant of my own biases and shortcomings as I need to continually work on my own faith and openness to growth and change. For me, it’s important because I truly feel that new ideas and challenging norms are a way forward for us as communities, but it takes openness, respect and goodwill in our communications and actions between ourselves to achieve this sort of fruitful progress.
Author: Alex Soich, Chief Financial Officer
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