Easter II                                           The Rev'd Deacon Carol Archer

Acts 2:14a, 22-32;                             Rite II Holy Eucharist

John 20:19-31                                    March 30 , 2008

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

 

If a tree falls in the woods, and no one is around to hear it…

Does it make a sound?

 

I suspect many of you would immediately answer…well, of course it does! What a silly question.

 

And I say how do you know? You weren't there.

 

Well, you say, I have been there other times and when I was there and the tree fell I heard this great crashing sound as it hit the ground…so, I know for sure this happens.

 

Ok. You've experienced this happening firsthand, you saw and heard, you're an actual witness to this truth, so you know without a doubt that this does occur.

 

But, now what about those of you who, perhaps, have never been in the woods when a tree fell? Some of you are saying as well that, yes, it makes a sound, this you believe , even though you've never actually been present to see and hear for yourselves. Because you know of others who have and by faith in their testimony you can believe this is a true and real thing.                        

 

This leaves the rest of us…those who've neither been in the presence of a falling tree nor can take on faith the witness accounts of others who claim to have been. These “doubting Thomases”. The “show me, I need concrete proof before I'll buy in” crowd.

 

I have a feeling quite a few of us have, at many points throughout our lives, vacillated between these states of knowing, and believing and doubt.

 

In today's reading from John, Jesus appears to the disciples on the evening of the first day of the week, this is after, earlier the same day, the tomb in which he had been laid after the crucifixion is found to be empty. The disciple, Thomas, is not among them when Jesus first appears so when the others tell him what happened he flat out refuses to believe their story. He would need to see, feel and hear for himself.

                        

I didn't know Thomas. I can't say what his real reasons were for not believing his brothers. Maybe he was just a skeptic by nature and that was how he approached all things. Maybe he had too many practical jokes played on him.

 

Or maybe it was because he so wanted it to be true that he was simply

afraid of the devastating disappointment if it turned out not to be.

 

Skeptism and cynism are fear reactions…ways that we protect ourselves and guard our fragile hearts against the often cruel nature of reality.

Sometimes it is just too difficult to believe that such a powerful force and mysterious love as God's can exist let alone be meant for us.

          

We've been through too much, seen too many bad things, we cannot rely on the experience of others, it must happen directly for us or it's just not real .

          

When we look at ourselves, at our own faith, our doubts or disbeliefs

how do we approach the death and resurrection of Jesus?

 

Confronted over and over and over again by the scriptural story of Christ's unconditional, all encompassing, pure and true love in his dying on the cross for the sins of the world, for us, and his resurrection into the glory of God, how do we react? What do we do with this? We weren't there, remember?

 

Do we believe through faith in the witness of those who were present, back then, and left for all future generations their testimonies in biblical scriptures?

 

This is the basis on which we rest our own personal journeys towards the light of Christ and the profoundly intimate relationship between our selves, our brokenness and our Savior.

 

For myself, personally, yes I do believe what the gospels have left for us. Jesus did appear, saying “Peace be with you” to his disciples and he does so now, today, before us.

                  

He appears as the living Christ dwelling within us and among us, in our community life together, our prayer life, our healing prayers and ministries, the conquering of addiction and disease, in our personal growth and hardships, in the compassion and support we receive and give in times of great need, the joy of birth and the surrender of life when this earthly pilgrimage is over.

 

And He is present in the rekindling of the often embattled hope in our hearts that refuses to die but is reborn time and again through this miraculous and wondrous Love for us and for all creation.

 

No matter what the world throws at you, by living in love for one another, with faith in Jesus, the risen Lord, all things are possible and conquerable.

              

What a gift we have been given through the Gospel of John, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.”

 

No doubt.

 

Amen.