"To Learn is to Unlearn" - John 1:35-42 - January 15, 2006

Someone once said, "There are no mistakes in life, only lessons." I like that saying because it implies that life is a about learning from our past mistakes, making changes and moving forward. When we think of our experiences as mistakes we are burdened with failure, disappointment and/or guilt. But, when we understand our mistakes as "lessons" we have learned something and therefore able to make some changes or adjustments for our lives in the future.

A few weeks ago I drove past the very first house I lived in. It is a tiny little cottage in a small town north of Columbus. When my folks bought it after world War II my father was finishing his college education. Now it’s in bad shape. I must admit I was a little disappointed that my very first home was not very impressive. So much of who we are has to do with our roots and heritage. Or does it?

When Simon was brought to Jesus, Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon, son of John. You are to be called Peter." What Jesus meant by this was that who Simon was in the past was not important. The fact that he was the son of John, from a little fishing village on the Sea of Galilee did not matter. What mattered was his potential. In Matthew (16:18) Jesus told Peter he would be the "rock of the church." He would be a great leader, and his leadership would make the church solid and eternal.

We are who we are not because of our past but because of our potential. Peter was affirmed by Jesus for who he could be, not who he had been. Peter had to "unlearn" that he was Simon, the son of John, from a small fishing village on the Sea of Galilee and "learn" that he was someone different. He learned from Jesus that his identity was not shaped by where he came from, but who he could be.

To be who we are has nothing to do with where we came from. Our identity is not determined by our past but by how we live our lives in the future. Who we are has to do with making decisions about what we are going to do with our lives from this point on. The disciples are invited by Jesus to "come and see." He challenged them to leave the past and step into the future. "Come and see," he said. Jesus was going to show them something different.

Jesus was giving them the opportunity to be disciples, followers of the faith. Their lives in the future would be shaped, not by who they were in the past, but their faithfulness from that point on. They had to "unlearn" that their lives would not be shaped and molded by culture, society or their vocation. Instead they would "learn" to live as people of faith.

All of us carry a lot of baggage; the baggage of family, culture, heritage and the experiences of our past. Unfortunately they are sometimes like chains which hold us back or even imprison us. We are trapped by what others have expected of us and unable to make changes in our lives because we are so attached to old relationships, old places and old things.

What Peter learns is that he no longer has to live by the conditions, presuppositions and connections to his past life. His new life will transcend who he is because he will live as a person of faith. Will he still make mistakes? Yes. Will he still have doubts? Yes. But Peter was transformed. He became a new person. He now had a new identity. He became a disciple, a man of faith. With God we learn that our identity has to do with our life as a disciple. For all of us are called and by living out that calling our lives are changed.

Jesus was leading Peter and the others to Bethany. The disciples were on a journey to some place new. There they would build new friendships and relationships. They would learn to do ministry there and be influenced by people of faith. Bethany means, "The house of the poor and afflicted." Mary and Martha and Lazarus lived in Bethany, the village of humble folks who were Jesus’ friends. I believe that by going to Bethany, Peter and the others would learn humility.

Bethany was quite a contrast to the fishing village where fishermen took great pride in their work. It was a small village, west of the Jordan. It was a border town in the wilderness area near Jericho. Peter would be dwelling in an area unlike anything he was used to. Unlike their fishing village, in which nothing ever changed and the whole town’s livelihood depended on catching fish, Bethany was a place of transition. People were constantly coming and going.

In Bethany Peter would learn that nothing is permanent. Life constantly changes and he would be constantly meeting new people and having a wide variety of experiences. While in Bethany Peter would grow and his gift of leadership would eventually emerge after Jesus was gone. In Bethany he would learn that his God-given talent would make a difference.

Sir Michael Costa was conducting a rehearsal in which the orchestra was joined by a great chorus. About halfway through the session, with trumpets blaring, drums rolling and violins singing their rich melody, the piccolo player muttered to himself, "What good am I doing? I might just as well not be playing. Nobody can hear me anyway." So he kept the instrument to his mouth, but he made no sound.

Within moments, the conductor cried, "Stop! Stop! Where’s the piccolo?" It was missed by the ear of the most important person of all. It’s much the same way with the Christian and his use of our talents for the Lord. If in the great "Orchestra of life" the cry ever goes out, "Stop! Stop! Where’s the piccolo?" let’s make sure the Divine Conductor isn’t missing you or me! Whether our talent is great or small, the performance isn’t complete until we do our best with what we have. (Our Daily Bread)

Everyone has a God-given talent. Just as Peter was called into discipleship, God calls everyone of you also. It means living up to your full potential, being who God calls you to be. It means broadening your horizons and establishing new relationships and living in different circles. It means knowing that your talent, big or small, can make a difference and enhance the community of faith.

Will we make mistakes? Yes. Will there be times when we doubt and feel like giving up? Yes. But remember, "there are no mistakes in life, only lessons."

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio