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Dear Friends,
Our Gospel passage for this Second Sunday of Easter transports us to a locked, upper room in the days following the resurrection of Jesus. In the quiet, where fear held the disciples captive, Jesus came and stood among them with words that still echo today: ‘Peace be with you’. Christ enters in—not with condemnation, but with peace.
Many of us wrestle with doubt. Like Thomas, we want to see and touch the evidence of faith before we can allow ourselves to believe. His story isn’t a cautionary tale—it’s an invitation. Jesus didn’t scold Thomas for his doubt. Instead, he met him exactly where he was. He invited him to see, to touch, to believe. This is the grace of Jesus in its most tangible form: not reserved for the already-convinced, but extended to those still searching.
I think that for anyone struggling with faith this passage offers profound hope. Doubt is not the enemy of faith—it can and should be part of the journey. Jesus’ appearance to Thomas shows us that doubt does not disqualify us from encountering Christ. In fact, it’s often in the midst of our questions that he reveals himself most clearly.
The story ends with Jesus blessing ‘those who have not seen and yet have believed’. This is not a rebuke of Thomas, but a word of encouragement to us today. We may not see the wounds in Jesus’ hands, but we can see his work in our lives and in the lives of those around us in our villages. We may not touch his side, but we can feel his presence in our moments of deepest need.
So if you’re doubting this week, take heart. You are not alone, and you are not beyond reach. Christ comes, even behind locked doors, to bring peace—not because we have it all figured out, but because he loves us enough to meet us right where we are.
Yours in Christ,
Ian
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