Readings for this week, of Sunday May 1, 2011 are for The Second Sunday of the Easter Season Acts 2:14a, 22-32 Psalm 16 I Peter 1:3-9 John 20:19-31
Easter is not just a one day festival
but rather a way of life
The rather good stories that tell how early Christians encountered Jesus after his death
help us to assimilate our own experiences of Jesus.
Take Peter, for example, who stands up boldly and reminds his listeners
"This Jesus who you crucified"...
he might also be saying....
"and who I deserted at his time of need"
...well "This Jesus God has shown to be the Messiah,
the incarnation of God himself."
It is, a reminder of the way we take the revelation of the Godhead for granted
and fail to see
what mind-blowingly transforming stuff we are involved in.
Thomas, too, who is a quintessential figure in the Christian story.
Not with the disciples when Jesus appears
he does not just take at face value
the fact that they have "seen the Lord"
Why, indeed, should he?
There is perhaps a salutary reminder
that sometimes we assume that people will take our witness for granted.
When we tell them what our experience of the Godly encounter is
we should not just assume that is going to be the last word in the debate.
We often mistake what is happening
we do not name it rightly
we may fail to appreciate where the other person is
(all these are warnings for the would-be evangelist)
but more than this we need to appreciate
that conversion is not so much about persuasion
as about openness to the Holy Spirit of God.
The disciples encourage Thomas
to articulate what it would take for him
to be convinced of the truth
of what God is doing in our lives.
What would it take for me to be convinced?
Perhaps more deeply convinced, or more fundamentally convinced,
can you write a short list of the doubts you have
and what God needs to do to allay those doubts.
Thomas did....I need to see and feel the wounds...
to experience the physicality and the aliveness of Jesus.
This confrontation and naming of doubt enabled him to respond well
when the moment came.
This is an important statement about the integrity of God
The God who honours our shortcomings
as well as our insights and our strengths.
Indeed the story seems to suggest
that doubt is not necessarily a "shortcoming"
The experience of resurrection
invites us to explore
both the light and dark places
where God is to be encountered in our faith journey.
What would you name as your doubts?
What would it and does it take to be more firmly and deeply committed?
and can I allow that process to take place in God's good time
No comments:
Post a Comment