Bishop Jones Writes
...
What do you think of
Thomas? Throughout the history of the Church,
Thomas, known as the twin, has borne the name of
‘Doubting Thomas.’ He was not present that first
evening when Jesus appeared. And when he was later
told of the appearance, he said that he needed to
see for himself.
So What about Thomas? For
me, Thomas represents those of us who resist easy
answers – who are seeking - who want to go deeper
in matters of faith – who want to experience and
explore, and who want to ponder the depths of
meaning of matters spiritual.
For those who are not
satisfied with easy answers, the words of Jesus to
Thomas are especially meaningful. He said, “Blessed
are those who have not seen and yet have come to
believe (John 20:29b).” Jesus is affirming
the venture and the struggle of coming to faith.
Is there a Doubting Thomas
among us? I hope so! I hope that there are
questions! For it is the spirit of Thomas, the
legitimate right to question and, yes to doubt,
that can lead to a vibrant, growing, and dynamic
faith.
Just as a world class
athlete is always pushing the edges of
conditioning never satisfied with the status quo …
and just as a scholar is never satisfied with
yesterday’s data … and just as a brilliant surgeon
is always learning new procedures and following
the latest research, we need push the edges of
growing in our faith. Yes. We need to go the extra
mile.
How? Our spiritual growth
depends on our own personal engagement. As Thomas
said that he needed to touch the Lord’s wounds, we
also need to experience the faith if we are to
grow in it.
We begin with the most
obvious way to grow in our faith. We need to take
time for God to nurture us. Just as a friendship
requires time, a close relationship with Jesus
needs time. On a regular basis, we need to turn
off all of our electronic devices and be silent.
We need to wait in the presence of God - to pray,
to be silent, to read scripture and to study.
Every day, we need time to bathe in the presence
and love of God. And when we do … and when we take
our prayer and study seriously, we will grow and
our faith will flourish.
Faithfully,
+ David
David Colin
Jones
Bishop in Residence
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