Monday, April 28, 2025

Doubt and Faith

 

We've all heard about "doubting Thomas" right? Well, I'm sick of that description. And in the world in which we're living at the moment, so much has been thrown into doubt that we all should accept that we are doubters.

And that's why faith is so important. 

Huh?

Keep reading and see what you think. 


Text: John 20:19-31

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There’s a story I like to tell about a friend of mine who is a photographer in Tallahassee.

We would occasionally take care of her dog….named Sammy…whenever she went out of town on a shoot somewhere in Florida.

Well…one weekend…during the big election meltdown in 2000…my wife and I were taking care of Sammy.

We decided to walk to the Borders Bookstore which was about a mile and a half from our house.

They had a coffee shop and this would be a way to walk the dog…get in some exercise…and get a coffee on my day off from covering the election chaos as it rolled along.

As we sat at an outside table…one of the many out-of-town photographers was also enjoying some time away from the state Capitol building.

He noticed Sammy…who was an adorable and friendly brindle dog...and asked if he could take her photograph.

Isabelle and I were like, “Yeah, sure.” So he pulled out his camera and clicked away.

We talked some about how crazy everything was with all the protestors that had been bused into town…the international media attention…that he was affiliated with one of the news services and normally was based out of New York.

And of course…we talked about how cute Sammy was.

About a week later…we again were going to this same coffee shop with Sammy. Only this time…Sammy’s mom had joined us.

Sitting at one of the outdoor tables was this photographer. Isabelle and I had gone inside to order our drinks when this guy said to our friend from across the patio:

“Hey! I know this dog!”

Our friend was taken aback and became a little bit defensive. She insisted that he must have been mistaken.

He…naturally…kept saying that he knew Sammy…and had even taken her photograph.

Our friend….being a photographer herself…was then even more certain this man was off his rocker.

“I assure you,” she said, “that you do not know my dog!”

That’s when the guy pulled out the 8x10 print he’d made of the photograph to prove that he had seen her dog…knew Sammy…and had even taken her picture.

With this evidence in hand…our friend had to acknowledge that her dog clearly was living a secret and glamorous life at the local coffee shop away from her mama.

Worse…she later admitted…it was an excellent photo.

Sometimes seeing something really is believing.

It’s hard for us to accept things without some kind of proof, isn’t it?

We’re all a little bit skeptical…and that’s not necessarily a bag thing.

We’re living in a world where we’re seeing how photos can be manipulated… and artificial intelligence is smart enough to make fake videos.

We have to give extra scrutiny to those memes that are so easy to share on our social media.

Having doubts could simply mean we want to discern the situation more carefully…and deliberately.

I have a soft spot in my heart for the apostle Thomas.

Besides having been raised up by the congregation of St. Thomas in Thomasville…I feel that for too long…preachers have given this man a bum rap for his demand of the apostles that he must see Jesus’ wounds for himself to believe that their Lord has really risen from the dead.

Remember: these folks…all of them…saw what had happened to their teacher and friend.

And in their minds…and their understanding of how things work in the world…Jesus was dead…and clearly the women who said his tomb was empty were confused.

Maybe they were overcome with grief.

Thomas wasn’t in the room when Jesus made his sudden and otherworldly appearance…showing up in the flesh and blood in front of the apostles.

We’re not sure where he was…but he wasn’t there at that moment.

Thomas was truly committed to the living Jesus.

He had so wanted to be courageous… declaring to the other disciples that they should all go together…like a band of brothers…with Jesus to Lazarus’ grave…even if it meant certain death (John 11:16).  

And…just like the others…when the real trouble arrived at their doorstep…Thomas was frightened into hiding.

We can imagine that he’s still dealing with his guilt…that he ran away…and his grief and confusion about this news that Jesus is alive.

Thomas wanted to believe…but this all sounds like lunacy to him.

His desire is there…but his belief is shaky.

That’s not bad.

That’s not wrong.

That’s just like us.

When things in the world around us are becoming less safe…and we can’t be sure of what’s coming next…our faith is often put to the test.

There have been plenty of times in my life where I have found myself turning to God in the face of a difficult and seemingly impossible situation and asking God, “How long, O Lord, how long?”

If there is one book in the Bible that I recommend that people look at…it’s the psalms.

They are a great collection of prayers for the human condition…both rejoicing when things feel right and good and just…and lamenting when that is the appropriate response to things broken and wrong in the world.

I appreciate Thomas raising the questions to his fellow apostles.

To me…his doubts…in a way…indicate that Thomas’s faith was probably stronger than we normally give him credit for having.

There’s something admirable about being willing to say out loud, “I have doubts” rather than to just go along because everyone else says it’s so.

The Episcopal Church encourages its members to ask questions… seek out the truth… discern and test rather than just accept what is said.

Because to have faith…real faith…you can’t necessarily have certainty.

Faith requires a suspension of concrete absolute proof.

And what happens when Jesus does appear…does show himself to Thomas…says to him to “go ahead: put your finger in my wounds!”?

Thomas’ response is “My Lord and my God!”

In this moment in John’s Gospel…we learn a couple of lessons from our friend Thomas.

The first one is that seeing is believing.

If we think about it…Thomas really was no different than any of the others.

They all needed to “see” Jesus in order to accept this new reality that Love had actually won victory over the attempts to kill it.

The other is that no matter how many locks and bolts and gated communities we might put ourselves behind thinking that we’re safe…Jesus is going to show up…and declare “Peace be with you!”

In the midst of our fears…and our doubts…that peace of Christ is still there and always available and will not be denied.

In fact…it’s when we are at our most fearful and doubtful that our faith may be that one lifeline that can pull us through

As Jesus tells Thomas…and the others too…it is possible to believe…to have faith…even if we don’t see Jesus in the flesh and blood.

Because in our times…we experience Jesus when we encounter those who act from a place of compassion…mercy…and justice.

We…in this place…receive Jesus not just in the body and blood at our Eucharist…but through the ways in which we live into the words of our Baptismal Covenant.

When we take seriously the message of Jesus that his peace is with us…we can begin to unlock the doors of our hearts…and share that love and peace and joy with others.

Not just at Easter…but always.

In the name of our One Holy and Undivided Trinity.

 

 

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