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My offering this month is part of a sermon that I preached recently, and is based on John 20:24-31,  which you might like to read now.
There is the story of a person walking on a country lane who sees a farmer standing in the middle of his farm, doing nothing in particular. The person called out, “What are you doing in there?” The farmer replies, “I'm trying to win a Nobel Prize!” “How can you get a Nobel Prize, doing nothing like that?” the person asked. The farmer answered, “I hear they give out Nobel Prizes to people who are out standing in their field.” Well, I happen to think that Thomas was out standing in his field, and should be given a prize.
For John, the writer of this gospel, faith does not seem to have been a straight line. It had its twists and turns. Faith doesn’t need to be unswerving, does it? Faith needs to be ready to move or to change or to adapt to changing circumstances. Are there ways in which that has happened to you? The story of Jesus and Thomas reminds us that it is never too late, that God is always giving us opportunities to reflect on our faith, and on how to live out our faith in new and wonderful ways.
You might notice that Jesus never puts Thomas down for wanting proof. He gives Thomas the same opportunity he gave to the other disciples. Thomas reminds us of the need for us to claim our own faith. It isn't enough that we learn about faith from others. We have to work it out for ourselves too.
One thinker, whose name I can’t remember, said that to doubt everything or to believe everything are two equally convenient solutions, because both dispense with the necessity of reflection. And Laurens Van der Post said that “Human beings are perhaps never more frightening than when they are convinced beyond doubt that they are right.” Being too sure of our faith, or of a lot of other things, for that matter, is not always a good option. We need to allow people to ask honest questions and to struggle with them and to grow with them. And we don’t always have to be able to come up with an answer. We don’t have to shut down the questions or the doubts that arise, and we don’t always have to agree.
I think that Jesus seemed to approve of Thomas and his doubts. Maybe we too can be people and a place that welcomes questioners, seekers, doubters, wonderers and wanderers.
Pat
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