A Different Way of Seeing

Diocesan Secretary, Andy Todd has written this article for November editions of parish magazines. 

Have you ever noticed how a really good story can make you see something differently? You start off thinking you know what it’s about, and then—somewhere along the way—you realise that perhaps you’ve been looking at things the wrong way.

That’s one of the things I love about Jesus’ parables.

Jesus could have simply told people what to think. Instead, he often told stories: a farmer scattering seed, a shepherd searching for a lost sheep, a father welcoming home his wayward son, a tiny mustard seed growing into something much bigger. These stories invited people to stop, think and see the world differently.

And that seems to be at the heart of Jesus’ message about the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom isn’t about going somewhere called heaven when we die. Jesus announced that God’s Kingdom was breaking into the world here and now—a new way of living where God’s love, justice, mercy and grace shape our lives.

But to recognise that Kingdom, we need a change of perspective.

This is what the Bible calls repentance. Forget any gloomy associations for a moment. The word essentially means a change of mind leading to a change of behaviour. It’s about allowing God to reshape the way we see ourselves, other people and the world around us.

Jesus’ parables do exactly that. They gently—and sometimes rather provocatively—turn our assumptions upside down. The outsider becomes the neighbour. The last becomes first. The apparently insignificant becomes enormously important. The person we might write off is the one God is looking for.

Perhaps that’s why Jesus still speaks to us through these stories today. They don’t just give us information; they invite us into a different way of seeing – and of being.

And maybe that is where really following Jesus begins: not simply with learning more about God, but with allowing God to change the way we look at everything.

The Kingdom of God might be closer than we think. We may just need to learn to see it.

During October and November, Bishop Hugh is hosting a number of opportunities around the Diocese to explore with him what it means for us to be Kingdom People, telling our stories afresh in the context of God’s story for the world – perhaps in new and inspiring ways.  Do come and join him: www.cofe-worcester.org.uk/join-the-story

The Revd Andy Todd