I first encountered it in 1980 when news of John Lennon's murder was met by some in his home town with the uncharitable judgement, 'He's never done anything for this city...' Anthropologists talk about the complex relationship which we groups of people, whether villages or cities, crowds or churches, have with those people we uphold as our ‘models’ - how at one and the same time we attack and cherish them, hate and love them, diminish and exalt them. 
This is the state of the hometown crowd in Nazareth with respect to Jesus. The proverb that a prophet is honoured everywhere except in his own home sums up the scandal. Envious of this person, we are at the same time attracted and repulsed by them. The crowd wants to be like the ‘other’ and to destroy him, because he is so pleasing.’
Teasing out this universal human trait, with reflections on the receptions of born-again Bob Dylan, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, the 'Accidental Footballer' Pat Nevin, and Frank Skinner, recent author of A Comedian's Prayer Book.
A talk for The Fifth Sunday after Trinity , 4 July 2021.
Find the text to this and all my talks at bit.ly/johndavies-talks.

Ver todos los episodios