“The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, I will not believe.”
The Fog
Thomas names a specific, honest condition here, except I shall see, worth holding as genuine, stated doubt, not hidden or suppressed, but directly, honestly spoken to the very disciples who had already, genuinely believed, worth examining whether this kind of directness has felt permitted in your own community.
This is worth holding as needed permission against whatever pressure has made you hide genuine doubt from other believers, pretending confidence you do not actually feel, rather than Thomas’s own example, honest doubt spoken directly, even when surrounded by others who already, genuinely believed differently.
Notice Thomas remained, genuinely, among the disciples, worth holding as significant, his honest doubt did not remove him from this community, worth trusting as permission to remain genuinely present, even while honestly doubting, rather than assuming doubt requires distance or departure from faith community.
Whatever except I shall see currently describes your own honest condition, speak it directly today, to God or to trusted others, following Thomas’s own example, trusting that this honesty need not remove you from genuine community, any more than it removed Thomas from his.
Walk Through the Fog
- Speak your own honest doubt directly today, to God or to at least one trusted person.
- Notice whether you have hidden genuine doubt to maintain appearance of confidence.
- Remain present in genuine community even while honestly doubting, following Thomas’s own example.
Prayer
Lord, like Thomas, I need to see. Let me speak this honest condition directly, trusting that this doubt need not remove me from genuine community or genuine faith. Amen.
Carry this today
Honest doubt, spoken directly, need not remove you from genuine faith community.