April 7, 2013
The Doubt Thing
- John 20:19-31
- Dr. Teri Thomas
Today’s pop quiz- What do U.S. Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver, Eliza Doolittle, and the disciple Thomas all have in common. We only need to listen to their own words…
First, Congressman Vandiver:
"I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me."
And now Miss Doolittle:
"Sing me no song! Read me no rhyme! Don't waste my time, Show me!"
And finally Thomas:
"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."
Although he has long been identified as the doubter— I think we need to cut Thomas some slack— he had a lot more going on than simple doubt.
Earlier in John’s gospel Thomas was the only disciple willing to follow Jesus to Jerusalem. The others were fearful, timid, frightened and Thomas said- Let’s go. I am willing to die with him.
Thomas was there every step of the way, learning, questioning, following.
He had no more doubt than any other disciple.
When the women returned from the empty tomb none of the disciples believed.
They all doubted.
At one time or another they all messed up.
They all lost faith.
They all misunderstood.
So one night when Jesus appeared
Thomas wasn’t there.
Faced with the story of the other disciples he had doubt.
He had not seen the risen Christ in person.
He had not seen the wounds.
He had not breathed the holy spirit.
He wasn’t there.
In that he is just like everyone else
who was not there that day and that would include all of us. We were not there either.
All we have is the testimony of others.
So Thomas names that part of each of us that, when faced with the mystery of the Resurrection,
might want to scream, "Show me!"
There is nothing wrong with doubt.
I believe it is the companion of faith-- not its opposite.
But doubt can be healthy.
Doubt tests faith.
Doubt tempers faith.
Doubt makes faith stronger.
Doubt is what sometimes keeps people out of the Church.
But this is exactly the place where we should bring our doubt.
Think about it.
The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God
and with one another in Christ.
This then, is not only a story about Thomas' doubt or faith.
It is a story of the faithful living out their mission.
The disciples brought Thomas back into their fold— doubts and all.
And it was then and there that Thomas encountered the risen Christ.
And it was then without even needing to touch
that he believed.
Thomas found faith because the disciples shared theirs with him.
They still had questions.
They were still confused.
They still harbored doubts but they had faith.
Doubt doesn’t make faith impossible.
Doubt is not the opposite of faith.
Actually, one opposite of faith is fear.
And fear can destroy us.
That may be why it is always the voices of the heavenly visitors who remind us,
"Do not be afraid!"
Another opposite of faith is certainty.
For faith, you see, is organic--it is alive and growing—
it wrestles around and grows stronger--even while being tested.
But certainty is cold and solid— certainty is unchanging, inorganic, and inflexible.
Certainty is fundamentally destructive to faith and to the Christian community.
And so with Thomas we celebrate faithful doubt.
We celebrate that part in each of us which on some level says, "Could all of this really have happened?"
And we celebrate the mission of the Church—
that life-affirming, restorative commitment to unity with God and one another
that is the great gift of the Church to the world.
And as people of faith,
we bring all that separates us,
be it doubt, or certainty, or fear, to God's Table
here in the midst of God's People
and ask that it be blessed.
So that we may gather here, today with Thomas
and with all of the other disciples,
and with all the patriarchs and matriarchs,
with all the saints and martyrs
we all may gather in faith
so we no longer need to reach our hand out in doubt to touch,
but rather we can reach out our hands in faith
to gather in all who so desperately yearn to taste and see
and proclaim with us
"Alleluia, Christ is Risen!"
Amen
Resources:
Missouri, "My Fair Lady," and the Mission of the Church preached by Rev. S. Chadwick Vaughn, St. Francis' Episcopal Church, Atlanta, GA.