The fantasy author Neil Gaiman once misquoted another author GK Chesterton. He used what he thought were Chesterton’s words to start his novel Coraline. The misquote is so good that it stuck around. It goes like this:
“Fairy Tales are more than true, not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten.”
Nathaniel: Patron Saint of Cynics?
This morning, before we get too far with St. Michael and the dragons, I want to spend some time with Nathaniel.
You don’t find many churches called St. Nathaniel’s, though in John’s Gospel he is counted among the twelve. Nathaniel isn’t a favorite patron saint, but I would argue we need him today, perhaps more than ever. Because Nathaniel’s story is the story of a tamed cynic.
There’s an argument to be made that Nathaniel is the twin of Thomas. At the end of John’s Gospel we hear about Doubting Thomas. And here at the beginning, in the first chapter, we hear about Cynical Nathaniel. In the verses just before our Gospel picks up today, Philip comes to Nathanael and says essentially, “you need to meet this Jesus from Nazareth. He’s the one.” Nathaniel famously replies, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
Today I want to sit with Nathaniel under that fig tree, to pause in his cynical reply. I think we need Nathaniel, because ours are days not just of doubt, but of cynicism. Faith is suspect. We distrust motives. We suspect the worst of one another. We reward the biting and the dismissive, in pop culture and in politics. Before I go further, I should say, I never preach a sermon I don’t need to hear myself. I know my inner cynic well, and I know at times I give him too much air.
Today we arrive just as Jesus says to the cynic, “here is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” Jesus essentially calls Nathaniel out. “I saw you under the fig tree.” Jesus says, essentially, “I know what you said to Phillip, and still I came. Still I greeted you warmly.” Nathaniel is stunned. Nathaniel has encountered something real in Jesus: he has encountered a truth he can’t cynically dismiss.
Then the angels come in, Jesus says, “Do you believe because I told you I saw you under a fig tree? Wait until you see the angels.” Wait until you see the angels.
Friends, if you’ve been dismissive, at times, of the life of faith. If you’re really here because your grandmother invited you, or your friend is singing in the choir, but you’re not really into all this religion stuff, you’re in good company. St. Nathaniel, one of the twelve, stood where you stand. If you’ve sometimes doubted your classmate or your neighbor. If you’ve been a little biting in your criticism of a colleague, well I’ll meet you under that fig tree.
We live in days that ask little of us in terms of faith. We are taught to be suspicious of our neighbors. We are cautioned about believing what others say. We are taught to question motives. We are sold a narrative that the “other side” whoever they are, they are out to get us.
Cynicism is Weak
Know friends, tempting as it may be, cynicism is weak. I’m sure Nathaniel thought he was being clever when he tried to dismiss Jesus. Instead Jesus invited Nathaniel on an adventure of faith. Nathaniel learned not just to believe, but to ask forgiveness, to heal, pity the afflicted, soothe the suffering and to announce good news. Cynicism may make us feel wise in the moment, but it’s weak. Faith requires daring, but it can make us strong.
I know a lot of us arrive at cynicism because we have been let down. We have been let down by friends, and family, and fellow Christians. We’ve been let down by systems, by governments, and schools, and workplaces and let’s be honest, churches.
There are thousands of reasons we become cynical. But today Jesus offers the cynic a vision of angels.
Angels might seem a lot to ask, but the Bible uses angels to point to the mysterious in life. If you ask me, “Mike, are angels real?” I can really only respond by saying, “it depends on what you mean by the word ‘real.'” Yes, they’re in the Bible.
When angels appear in the Bible, something deeper than factual is often occurring. When angels show up, they usually have to start by telling people “don’t be afraid.” Then they say things like: In your old age, you’re going to raise kids, and they will be a blessing. You’re pregnant out of wedlock, but it’s all part of God’s plan. You’re going to walk through that sea on dry land. Angels are ephemeral. Angels don’t linger, but they news they bring shakes our world.
On Slaying Dragons
St. Michael, Scripture tells us, is the dragon slayer. It’s a lot to ask a doubter to believe or a cynic not to dismiss. Are angels real? Are dragons?
Cynics may struggle to believe in angels, but we can see the dragons all around us. We see folks wrestling with active addiction. We encounter the systemic poverty which robs our neighbors of a chance at a healthy and secure life. We feel the effects of a broken and racist immigration system. We run into the dragons of misogyny, ableism, homophobia, transphobia and racism again and again. I think some of us have become cynics because we just see dragon after dragon after dragon.
Our faith invites us: When you can see the dragons, start looking for the angels.
Many of us come to this church week after week because here we find hope that dragons can be beaten. Groups gather here week by week working the steps of a program to stay sober. This is a place where volunteers come together to feed, and cloth, and welcome migrants who have crossed our border. This is a place where LGBTQ+ folks are not just welcomed at church. We lead ministries, just like the so-called straight folks. St. Michael’s is a place where we have seen dragons beaten.
So today we celebrate our Feast Day. St. Michael’s we are named for a slayer of dragons. And this year, at the church, I want to challenge you, in our cynical days how will you make the stories of the angels true? What adventure of faith will you dare?
The ante is up today. We’re baptizing four people, and none of them are little infants. An adult and three older kids are being baptized. Teenagers even. If teenagers here are making a public commitments of faith, what excuse is left for the rest of us?
Today we are also asking folks to make a commitment to this place, to visit a ministry fair and talk with leaders.
Will you let go of easy cynicism? Will you lean into the adventure of faith? Will you show up early on a Monday or a Tuesday morning to help at our food pantry? Will you join a trip down to Annunciation house, or stay overnight at the Landing to help welcome migrants? Will you join an Education for Ministry Group and ponder deep questions? Will you sing in the choir? Will you make the decision to bring your kids to a youth program or to children’s chapel?
When you contemplate how you will support ministry in this place this year, I want to challenge you to be especially generous. Give like you mean it, because your gifts here really do make a loving difference. If our pattern of giving is new to you, I hope you’ll stop by the Stewardship table today at the fair. The team has great plans to talk about how your loving generosity transforms not just our parish but our city.
This morning, we hear the story of a reluctant saint. I said at the outset, there aren’t many churches named St. Nathaniel’s. I googled this week, and I found one, and laughed out loud when I saw: There’s a St. Nathaniel’s Episcopal Church in Florida. If you want to hear me get cynical, ask me what I think about Florida. Thank God there are some Episcopalians even in Florida proclaiming the Good News of Jesus.
Today, on our Feast, the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, we hear the story of a tamed cynic. We are challenged to believe dragons can be slain. We too are invited to know good news. There is something inescapably real about this Jesus from Nazareth.
Stories of angels are more than true, because they tell us all of us can join in the adventure of faith. There is no deceit. Like Nathaniel, we are invited to give up our useless cynicism and believe. Step by step, we can learn to trust: the world can be shaken. Jesus invites us to know, faith is not primarily a set of rules. Faith isn’t about reinforcing old prejudice. Faith is an adventure, making a loving difference for our neighbors. Sometimes we simply have to step out of our comfortable shade and learn to watch out for the angels. Happy Michaelmas.
Mike Angell 