Our gospel reading this week shines more light on the experience of John the Baptist as he comes face to face with the cousin he did not know!

“I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptising with water was that he might be revealed” John 1:31

The gospel writer John, as always has a way of getting inside the head of his characters so that we not only see what they see but see what they did not see. Here he reveals to us what is only visible through the eyes of faith. ‘The Lamb of God’

Think for a moment of something we believe to be true – that the earth rotates, but we cannot see it unless we have the advantage of looking at the earth from space! The French scientist Foucault demonstrated this in a simple experiment in 1851. He hung a huge pendulum from the roof of the Pantheon in Paris. Underneath he placed a clock face. As the pendulum swung from side to side from its great height the plane of its swing moved across the face of the clock at the rate of 11 degrees each hour. The experiment made the rotation of the earth visible to all. It has been reproduced in the Science museum in London if you want to see it for yourself!

The artist Cézanne was arguably the first to explore the way we see. Traditionally artists portrayed their subjects from a fixed angle as if taken from a camera, but this is not the way our eyes work.

In Still Life with Fruit Dish (1879-80), the rim of the water-filled glass is shown in a distorted perspective, the background wallpaper appears to be in front of the fruit dish, and the white tablecloth feels like it is suspended in space and not draped realistically over the table's edge. Cézanne is showing us that he doesn't want to see the scene from one consistent angle, but has embraced a roving gaze, fixating on each element at a time, so that when pieced together we can see the inconsistencies.

In doing so he changed the traditional notion of the eye as a passive 'camera' and replaced it with the idea of perception as fallible, mobile, time-based, and always personal. As we discover how the eye interacts with human consciousness Cézanne's probing art makes sense. The truth, the way we really see, has to be revealed.

John tells us that he set up a demonstration so that the world might see the ‘Lamb of God’.

“I came baptising that with water ... that he might be revealed”

John 1: 31

The figure of the Messiah had been known for centuries through the prophetic witness of the Old Testament, but who was this figure and how would we know him when he came? The one who would combine justice with mercy, kingly authority with gentle love, a mighty Saviour, and a suffering servant?

John’s baptism revealed all. As Jesus identified himself with sinful humanity by submitting to John’s baptism, God sends down on him His Spirit as a sign of his true Sonship. The one who is made sin for all, John proclaims, is also the one who raises us to Sonship with God by his Spirit.

Scientists and artists through the ages have changed the way we see the world and this has led to a profound change in the way we live in the world.

The dramatic impact of John the Baptist's proclamation 'Look, here is the Lamb of God' is made immediately apparent as Andrew who witnesses this scene turns to Jesus. ‘What are you looking for?’, Jesus asks. The beginning of faith is always a search for truth, an exploration of the way we see and make sense of the world. The invitation of Jesus is significant ‘Come and see’, Andrew and his brother Peter begin a journey of exploration which will change the way they see and the way they live.

Rev. Simon Brignall

We hold in our prayers those who are experiencing ill health, those awaiting operations, and those recovering at home.

Prayer for Ukraine

God of peace and justice

we pray for the people of Ukraine today,

and the laying down of weapons.

we pray for all those who fear for tomorrow,

that your spirit of comfort would draw near to them.

We pray for those with power over war and peace,

for wisdom, discernment, and compassion to guide their decisions

Above all, we pray for all your precious children at risk and in fear,

That you would hold and protect them.

We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

Amen