As we launch into the start of a new semester and school year, I couldn’t help but read the delightful story in the Gospel of John with an eye toward collegial and student-teacher relationships.

The story's opening tells of Philip seeking out Nathanael to tell him the good news about Jesus. As a teacher and researcher, I can just picture Philip getting excited to tell his friend and colleague, Nathanael; they found the one they have been discussing in their readings. I imagine it was like being in the lab and talking with colleagues about a theoretical concept that is suddenly experienced, and with evidence to prove that it is real and not just a theory (only better!). I can almost hear the excitement in Philip’s voice as he tells Nathanael the good news. And what happens next is such a typical response to a new discovery—there is skepticism.

Nathanael says, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” We always seem to have this type of response to new discoveries, whether it’s from our colleagues or that which we read in journals or hear at scientific meetings. Our default response seems to be one of doubt and questioning, and maybe even pessimism. But this type of initial response doesn’t seem to be related to just science. It seems to be human nature that our default response is one of skepticism. Why is that? I wonder if it’s partly because we are conditioned to know everything through our minds only. If we cannot reason through the problem or if it doesn’t make sense in our minds, then it is probably not true—seems to be our natural academic stance. And here we are at the beginning of a new and wonderful school year. Is this how I want my students to know truly? Or is there more?

At this point in the gospel story is the line that really sticks with me. After Nathanael’s doubt comes Philip’s response, “Come and see.” What a powerful response. If Jesus were to be known only with the mind, Philip would have responded with a long explanation that only the mind could be satisfied with. He would have started his defense with a “review of the literature” and the writings of Moses to set the stage. He would have then explained his methods to draw these conclusions, followed by the data of where and when he saw him. This would surely satisfy the thinking mind that Jesus is real. But Philip didn’t respond this way. He simply said come and experience Jesus for yourself. In other words, getting to know Jesus in a way that is outside of the mind through seeing and experiencing. For me, this message could not be clearer. Jesus is not a thought experiment. Jesus is a lived experience.

As the gospel story continues, this message of lived experience becomes even clearer as Jesus interacts with Nathanael. Jesus tells Nathanael, “I saw you under the fig tree,” which to me means that Jesus experienced Nathanael first before Nathanael even knew who Jesus was. Wow! And to take it further, Jesus says to him that he will continue to know Jesus through what he sees as the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.

Throughout this short reading, “seeing” is used carefully and purposefully as the method of knowing. When we truly see something, it has a way of passing through our minds and entering our hearts. Seeing with our heart seems to have a depth of knowing that far exceeds the mind's ability to know. As the new school year begins and I get wrapped up in course content and effective teaching methods, today’s gospel reminds me that “knowing” doesn’t just happen with the mind, which sometimes can be skeptical and doubting. Knowing that comes through our lived experiences with Jesus gives us the depth to know him with our hearts as well. This type of knowing can allow us to “see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”