Development of active and truthful love

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary are both challenging and reassuring. The first letter of John creates a strong description of those who are not abiding in the love of Jesus. They are murderers like Cain who are abiding in death. John declares that those who are children of God live in active and truthful love of God and others. The Gospel passage from John, according to Friar Jude Winkler, is a dialogue with Jesus about Nathanael who is revealed as being a scholar of the Law, under the fig tree, who is seeking truth in understanding the relationship of Jesus to the religious tradition. Nathanael allows his understanding of Nazareth as a dirt poor, near pagan place, which is in Galilee, not Judah, the traditional origin for the Messiah, to be set aside as he accepts Philip's invitation to 'Come and see'. Jesus connects with Nathanael's indwelling Spirit of truth and open desire to develop his understanding by referring to him as an Israelite, one who is in the line of Israel, the reformed name of Jacob. Jesus is reassuring Nathanael and us that the path to the active and truthful love to which the letter of John aspires is through an openness to 'come and see' knowing that the proclamation of the psalmist of the steadfast love and faithfulness of God is an eternal truth.