Second Sunday of Easter

Second Sunday of Easter
April 23, 2006

"The community of believers was of one heart and mind...." (Acts 4: 32-35). "And the victory that conquers the world is our faith." (I John 5: 1-6). "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” (John 20: 19-31)

The apostle Thomas can't believe the news that Jesus has not abandoned them. Thomas is my hero. As a reward for his courage in speaking up with his questions about what he was seeing, Jesus does not scold him for his doubts. Instead he invites him to touch his body in a most intimate way. In this touch Thomas came to believe that God was actually still with them.

How difficult it is to accept what is right in front of us. Are we fools for maintaining confidence that life survives death? Perhaps "atheists" are actually rejecting an inadequate understanding of mature religion and faith which excludes human reason and compassion. I myself often wonder whether we are just making up all this stuff about God to make ourselves feel better. Maybe we really are alone in the universe. Usually I am most acutely questioning this when I'm alone, motionless, in my bed wondering what would happen to me if no one was there.

Then one of my many angels appears, touching me, and my doubts and isolation evaporate. How often each day I experience this touch from those around me who do so in love and care, physically, verbally, spiritually, from near and far away. This experience brings back to mind that faith is not a solitary experience. Like the first Christians (even in the idealized version in this passage) and the apostles, they experienced the risen Christ when they were together, loving and supporting each other. No wonder Thomas had a hard time when he was not there for Jesus' first visitation to the other apostles. When we are having a hard time with faith, we touch someone or (even better) allow ourselves to be touched and are brought back to reality.

Someone recently reminded me that belief precedes proof. We believe in order to see clearly. Thomas could not have touched had he not first accepted the invitation from Jesus and decided to believe. When belief seems impossible, we decide to accept the invitation anyway. Even only wanting to believe is the Spirit's invitation to faith. One of the great counterfeits of our age is that faith should answer questions. Thomas Aquinas knew that his "proofs" work only after we believe. Faith begets faith, doubt begets doubt. Faith is not always intellectually or emotionally consoling. As often as not it is "pressing against the darkness". When we ask for God to be with us during times of the darkness of unknowing our prayer is answered. If we wait for faith to come in the form of some great insight or wonderful feeling, we might be waiting a long time.