Poor Thomas gets such a bad rap, simply because he wants to see with his own eyes to all the miracle of Jesus' resurrection. Can you blame him? He'd been an eyewitness to so many other things. He had seen Jesus raise people from the dead. He had seen people be healed of all kinds of diseases and ailments. He'd seen demons cast out of tortured individuals. Of course he wanted to see with his own eyes! He wasn't willing to be told about it. He wanted to live it. He wanted the experience. And until that happened he was going to base his belief on what he had last seen-Jesus dead!
I understand that. I'm the same way. I'm not willing to take somebody else's word for it. I want to breathe it in and out. I want to experience it myself. And maybe that's our role as followers of Christ-to help others experience God themselves.
I firmly believe that the vast majority of agnostics and atheists fail to believe in God because we, the Church, have failed to demonstrate his power and presence in our own lives. Too often we're telling unbelievers a story we've failed to live ourselves. I fail at this regularly! More common than not I find myself doing God's work rather than rather than living out my journey with God-my story of relationship with him.
Thomas got his wish! He got to experience Christ after the resurrection first hand. And Thomas believed because he saw and experienced it for himself. He wasn't scolded or labeled by Jesus. May you live out what you hope for, and may your faith lead to intimacy with the very real God who love you!
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