The second Sunday of Easter - time for "doubting" Thomas. Normally, I like to use this story to focus on the peace of Jesus, on the fact that Thomas only wanted to see what the others had seen, on the idea that doubt is important to faith. Today, though, as my heart breaks again over the pain of our Jewish sisters and brothers in Poway, California, I have a different take. First, read the story.
"When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."
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."
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:19-31)
Today, another community does not have to imagine what it must be like to experience terrorism, hate, and murder. Another community is like Thomas, feeling first-hand what he could not otherwise believe. Only today it is not resurrection, but racism and hatred manifested in gun violence. Imagine putting your hand in Jesus' side, your finger where the nail pierced his hand. Unless we feel the horror of it, can we not believe it?
Our world cannot afford for us to be like Thomas, to wait until we personally have seen someone gunned down, before we act. This plague will not end with Jesus coming out of the clouds and breathing on us all and saying "peace be with you." This plague will only end if we are the ones spreading that peace ourselves. Jesus tells his disciples they have power in his name. We have power. We can vote, we can demand change, we can offer support to our sisters and brothers, we can pray that our own hearts be moved to act, we can choose love over hate every day. I can't say it better than the prayer that will be prayed in so many churches today:
"Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen." (Collect for the Second Sunday of Easter)
This is my prayer today.
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