Thomas was absent when Jesus first appeared to the disciples in the upper room. Whereas the other disciples exclaimed that Jesus was risen from the dead, Thomas is not so sure. Instead Thomas says, ““Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A week passes by where Thomas remains skeptical about the resurrection. And who could blame Thomas? Nobody thought the Messiah would die, let alone be risen from the dead. In a secular age we’ve all encountered the same roadblock to belief as Thomas. As sons of the Enlightenment and daughters of Modernity, we’re all Thomas now. But Jesus is not discouraged or upset by Thomas. Jesus appears to Thomas and allows him to touch the wounds of crucifixion. “Place your finger here” Thomas then exclaims, “My Lord, and My God.” Jesus does not scold Thomas for doubting. If Thomas goes from belief, doubt, and re-belief—- perhaps we are allowed to as well? What if doubt is not the enemy of faith but the evidence that we have a faith that is seeking understanding? (Fides quaerens intellectum) What if doubt is a companion on the journey of understanding as we pursue Endless Mystery? What if doubt is the doorway to each new way of knowing, each new perspective?
Thomas was absent when Jesus first appeared to the disciples in the upper room. Whereas the other disciples exclaimed that Jesus was risen from the dead, Thomas is not so sure. Instead Thomas says, ““Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A week passes by where Thomas remains skeptical about the resurrection. And who could blame Thomas? Nobody thought the Messiah would die, let alone be risen from the dead. In a secular age we’ve all encountered the same roadblock to belief as Thomas. As sons of the Enlightenment and daughters of Modernity, we’re all Thomas now. But Jesus is not discouraged or upset by Thomas. Jesus appears to Thomas and allows him to touch the wounds of crucifixion. “Place your finger here” Thomas then exclaims, “My Lord, and My God.” Jesus does not scold Thomas for doubting. If Thomas goes from belief, doubt, and re-belief—- perhaps we are allowed to as well? What if doubt is not the enemy of faith but the evidence that we have a faith that is seeking understanding? (Fides quaerens intellectum) What if doubt is a companion on the journey of understanding as we pursue Endless Mystery? What if doubt is the doorway to each new way of knowing, each new perspective?