“Peace be with you.” Jesus says this three times to the disciples*, who were shut-in with the doors locked for fear of what might lurk on the outside. Sound familiar?
We’re all groping for peace right now, wondering when it will come, questioning what “normal” is. The cadre of believers huddled in that room in the wake of Christ’s death were unsure what to do next, just like us. Jesus revealed himself to them, and breathed the Holy Spirit on them. He didn’t do this so they could keep the revelation to themselves, but rather to send them and this sacred work of love into the world.
Thomas was gone, maybe he’d been given a mask and chosen to get the groceries. “The Twin,” they called him. We never meet Thomas’ twin. Was it just a name he was given, Didymus, or is there another like him who is out there, not even looking for Jesus, not even trying to believe? We know that person, too. Perhaps Thomas inhabits a dual role within us all, faith vs. doubt. Who among us hasn’t doubted? Who among us hasn’t had fear about what’s next, how to adjust, questioning the efficacy of a crucified Lord?
The challenge for us is the same as it was for Thomas, to believe without seeing. Can we see through these walls into a world weary with cynicism and fear, knowing that we have been asked to bring a light of hope? With the help of “the counselour,” can we light that pentecostal fire within ourselves and hold it aloft? If we are to do so, we must seize the Easter reality that Christ is Risen, and move it from a rational thought to an emotional, relational experience. It can be a challenge, especially from a distance, but it’s worth our most creative efforts. Our neighbors are worth it. Our world is worth it.
Many years later, Peter writes† to a fledgling but now widespread network of home church believers. He writes from “Babylon” to those who had never witnessed the risen Lord. He writes to us. “Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” If survival is what this quarantine is all about, let’s make sure we know what we’re living for.
–Matthias Everhope (Martin), Jubilee Church
