John 14: Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and I will take you to myself, so that where I am you will be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."
John 20:26-29"A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."
December 21, The Solstice of Winter, is the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle in the Anglican and Lutheran traditions. It seems fitting that on the shortest day of the year, so close to the joy of Christmas, yet still in the midst of anticipation of Advent that we should commemorate a Saint that speaks to the nature of our core tendencies as Christian. Solstice is a period of deep darkness, yet the promise of longer days, light piercing the darkness, reflects Christ's birth and our road to joyful redemption.
Thomas is one of the Twelve Disciples, a man who followed Jesus and lived and died preaching the Gospel. Yet in spite of the strength of Thomas' faith he is maligned by Christians and popular culture alike as a 'Doubting Thomas.' Skeptics of religion often use this moniker - 'A Doubting Thomas' is a synonym to skepticism In truth nothing can be farther from the truth. Yes, Thomas did doubt, but he also believed. If anything he is a reflection of each of us. We are all Thomas, at times steadfast and ready believers willing to embrace persecution and naysayers: "Let us also go, that we may die with him..." other times, desperate to believe and understand God's purpose yet confused and scared 'Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"' We see the wonder that only God can create and instead of accept the extraordinary grace of God we doubt, we prod, question, debate...' To criticize Thomas' is criticizing ourselves.
We can learn and take comfort from St. Thomas in the fact that Christ will guide us and show us the path to the Father. When we doubt, God is a willing listener who will comfort and work through the natural, physical, mundane and extraordinary to help strengthen our faith. Jesus doesn't admonish Thomas for his questions, rather he reassures Thomas: Jesus says I am the Way...
When the risen Jesus sees that Thomas is confounded, shocked, confused and skeptical of the veracity of this miracle, instead of calling him out for unbelief, Jesus says: Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe."
Do Not Doubt, but Believe - powerful words and a challenge to us all. In our faith journeys, God wants us to question and turn to him in our confusion, he also expects us in turn to learn to trust in Him. It took the process of doubt, misunderstanding, questioning God to understand God's call and TRUTH. If we don't know the Way, then ask God the way, pray for discernment. If we are angry and frustrated by unanswered prayers, dilemmas and strife in our life, pray for understanding and the spirit of God's healing presence. If you are faced with the impossible, belief that in God everything is possible.
Thomas was honest, straightforward and
If you remember Thomas as a doubter, remember that he turned his doubt into a belief built on a strong foundation. He trusted the Way of Jesus Christ, traveling by tradition all the way to India to proclaim the Gospel...dying as a martyr in the name of Christ. We all are restrained by the smallness of human rationale, yet God works through our flaws and teaches us the way, even when we are lost, confused and in doubt.
One of my favorite television shows is 'LOST' - it is a mythic show on many levels, that often alludes to the symbolism of Christianity and Judaism. It is a show about doubting and faith and the process of how doubt eventually leads to faith, even in unlikely circumstances. There is a scene in which Ben Linus, the antagonist and hero all in one, speaks with doubter and conflicted man Jack Shepard - I won't go into too many details it is a show you must watch if you haven't already...In the episode 316, Ben and Jack are sitting in a church, Ben is praying with his eyes open, looking at Caravaggio's painting of The Incredulity of Doubting Thomas. He mentions how Thomas is not remembered for his persevering faith, with is his true testament, but his unbelief...He had to touch the wounds to believe...Jack asks Ben if Thomas ever did come to believe, Ben answers we all come to believe in the Truth eventually.
You can watch the clip here: http://youtu.be/ZAIhybEX50U
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