Defense of Doubt

History, is  the story of people, but many historical figures become defined by one event in their life. William T. Sherman never lived down that he was a loony; Nero that he fiddled while Rome burned; or on a positive side, Alexander Graham Bell is known as inventing the telephone. There exists few historical personalities defined by one event as is Thomas the Apostle. Thomas has been labeled “doubting Thomas.” Being named Thomas, I have an affinity for this apostle. I was born on what was then his recognized feast day, although the Church later changed his feast date to be July 3. My spouse would, however, say that the comparison between my name sake and I goes well beyond the name, and that we share certain character traits. Most of us should know the gospel reading to which I refer. What you may not know is that it is one of the few gospel readings that makes each of the three lectionary cycles in the Catholic Church for the second Sunday of Easter.  If you are Catholic, on the second Sunday of Easter you will hear about Thomas.  Let me examine in this "Defense of Doubt" why Thomas has been hung, in my opinion, with an unfair label.

First, let us note that Thomas was not present when Jesus appeared on that day after his resurrection. The disciples were locked in a room because they were afraid. If you see an empty tomb one reaction could be a grave robbery. They likely had reason to be afraid. Would not someone wish to question what is really going on? It is a simple human reaction to the moment. The group is huddled together in fright, not in joyous celebration of the risen Lord. They were having a human reaction to an event difficult to explain. Was there a question of faith on their part? Probably, for if they truly believed in the resurrection they would have faced life and its consequences and not hid in a room.  Most of them would face the consequences of being a Christian later in life.

Even if we consider it doubt, that word connotes a level of negativity. The reputation of Saint Thomas indicates a shamefulness to his comment he made to another disciple. Doubt and the ability to question is part of what makes one human. Just because one questions something, is not reason to hang such negative connotation to the event.  You are questioning what makes a person human.  One certainly knows that Peter should not cast a stone at Thomas for he had denied even knowing Christ in the early morning of Good Friday. In any event, it is not at all unusual for some of the most highly recognized saints to go through times of doubt on where is God, and his fit in their life. Two example can suffice. First is St. John of the Cross, who even coined the term “Dark Night of the Soul,” which is a title of work he had written. However, perhaps the best recognized modern day example to go through feelings of spiritual abandonment was Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, who we know today as Saint Teresa of Calcutta. Ten years after her death correspondence between her and her confessor was released detailing her spiritual heartache, her feelings of abandonment and her wonder of her calling. Persons of great faith, and charitable works have doubt. Maybe their doubt can intensify as their relationship with God deepens and evolves. Was it a lack of faith, a show of humanness, or a combination of the two that Mother Teresa had her own dark night of the soul for decades? Even Jesus showed a human side—think of his anger when he challenged the money makers in the temple, his snide comment to his Mom while preaching at a young age in his father’s house, and of course his words on the cross about being forsaken by God, his father. Although, as an aside, if Jesus felt that much pain, can you imagine the pain of his father? No parent would want to see their child put through that humiliation.

Yet, the strongest argument about not treating Thomas in a negative light is to me in the Gospel passage itself. The first part of the passage is most instructive:

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, "Peace be with you."
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
"Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained."

 Most instructive is during Jesus’s greeting of “Peace be with you” is immediately followed by: “When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.” Therefore, as he was giving his greeting to the disciples Christ revealed to those gathered in the room the marks in his hands and in his side. They did not have to ask the question about seeing the marks, because Christ was right there revealing the wounds of his crucifixion. Although, they were probably too in awe with the whole scenario. Who would not be speechless at seeing a person risen from the dead? Thomas was obviously attending to other chores during the time of this encounter, as being the impetuous man that he is often considered, he would otherwise have made it a point to be with the other disciples. Thomas was left to have the other disciples tell him about their encounter with the Lord.

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord."
But he said to them,
"Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."

The easy way is to interpret this as doubt, but to me it is an expression of our human nature followed by one of the most dramatic proclamations of faith in the bible: “My Lord and my God.” If the other disciples had seen a man in the room who did not show the nail marks, I think one of them would have wondered if the proverbial wool was being pulled over their eyes and would have asked to see more proof, the nail marks being the clear indicator. Further, the focus should not be on the reticence expressed to the other disciples by Thomas when told of them seeing the risen Christ, but rather on his proclamation of faith.  He had faith because he touched the wounds, but if he was present on the day after the resurrection, he likely would have accepted Jesus as having risen, as he would have been shown the nail marks.

Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you."
Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe."
Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."

Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

As a human doubt is part of our lives, but questioning should not be considered a negative it should be viewed as a means of growth, just as St. John of the Cross and Saint Teresa of Calcutta used their dark night of the soul to lead themselves to a greater connection to God.  It is easy for us to mock Thomas for not believing, because we here in the current century do not see Jesus in body on earth. It is faith that tells us to believe, and we do not know Jesus as a man as did Thomas and the other disciples. Yet, God is present on earth, in different manners and in different forms, we just need to be looking in the right places.  Although, I have this feeling that my wife will still say I share this character trait with my name sake.

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