Fr. James Stephen Behrens reflects on Nathanael’s question, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael’s response to Philip’s telling him that he found the Messiah is worth pondering. The Gospel of John is filled with accounts of people discovering that Jesus was not who they expected him to be. He was both less than they anticipated and far more than they had hoped. Wondrous things would spring forth from lowly Nazareth. We may take some satisfaction in our after-the-fact awareness that we now have this paradox down pat. But the lessons of John’s Gospel can and do puncture our inflated expectations of divine arrivals from above. Jesus is in our midst in everyone we meet. He especially calls out to us in the lives of the poor, the lonely, the oppressed, and the suffering. Whereas we may be accustomed to looking toward the end of life for his arrival, our faith encourages us to open our eyes and look around. It is the hurting of this world that pulls us out of ourselves to enter more deeply into the life of Jesus. A Christian may find that they raise difficulties in trying to communicate his faith to others. What should they do? Do what Philip did and not trust their own explanation but invite them to approach Jesus personally: “Come and see.” In other words, a Christian should bring his brothers and sisters into Jesus’ presence through the means of grace which he has given them. It’s about intimacy with the Lord.