Unresolved Doubts

"Unless I see the nail piercings in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." This is a well articulated doubt about the reality of the resurrection from Thomas, one of the disciples of Jesus. He is a representative of the many contemporary men and women who cannot be persuaded by the mere heresay or rumors. I suppose Christians should have this kind of skill to separate the grain from the chaff. It is through faith in the risen Christ that the disciples had their powerful proclamation even in front of their detractors. The rational faith is very important in our contemporary world, but this should not prevent us from expressing the emotional aspects of it.

A week later when the disciples were having their weekly meeting to know what were the possibilities of the conntinuity of their ministry, which already rocked the bottom line of Greco-Roman and Jewish authority, Jesus appeared to them. The Gospel of John tells us that Jesus pass through a closed door. Then he said "Peace be to you!" Then he told Thomas to verify the authenticity of his crucifixion and resurrection, filled with awe and wonder he said "My Lord and my God!" Jesus reacted in a manner that confronted Thomas with his unbelief, he said "...blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." This does not mean however that faith is non-rational, Jesus emphasizes faith as response to what was historically revealed. The recognition that God has revealed God-self in the past and now is being revealed in inscrutable ways through Jesus Christ is a courageous act of faith.

Personally I believe in Jesus Christ because his love for me and for humanity is unmatched in history. Just like Thomas I can exclaim "My Lord and my God!"