The image of the heavenly Jerusalem is a vision of hope in God's future. We are faced with afflictions and negative situations, and we live in a world in which there is much suffering and injustice. And yet, as Christians we do not lose hope, for we are confident that our God has good things in store for humanity. We allow our imaginations to be captured by a vision of God's hope and dream for the world, and envision a world of peace, justice and love. This vision guides our thoughts and actions throughout each day.

And what does it take to receive such inspiration? The apostle Nathanael described in John's Gospel has traditionally been associated with Bartholomew, who is listed as one of the apostles in Mark, Matthew and Luke. John describes him as one without deceit - he tells it like it is! He makes no attempt to gain the favour of Jesus, and he even expressed doubt that the Messiah could possibly come from a place as insignificant as Nazareth. But when confronted with the evidence, he makes an eloquent profession of faith in Jesus as the Son of God and King of Israel. What is this lack of deceit? It is the absence of cynicism, the refusal to be rigid and dogmatic, and a willingness to change one's mind. In other words, openness to God's Spirit. The more we show this quality of Nathanael's, the more will be revealed to us.