UNLESS I SEE THE NAIL MARKS...












If ‘seeing’ is a must for ‘believing’, then, most of us would have been Atheists in life!


I haven’t ‘seen’ God; yet, I ‘believe’ in Him.


And, I think, you, too, haven’t seen Him; yet, like me, you, too, ‘believe’ in Him.


Today is Easter… I remember Thomas, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples.


Jesus had risen from the dead. He appeared to some of His disciples. When they told Thomas, “We have seen Jesus,” he flatly refused to believe them. “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”


Some days later, while the disciples had gathered for a prayer meet, in a closed room, Jesus, once again, appeared before them. “Peace be with you.” He said to them. This time, Thomas was present in the room. Jesus said to him, “Thomas, put your finger here, see my hands; reach out your hand and put into my side… Stop doubting and believe.”


Thomas was melted… “My Lord, my God!” he cried out to Jesus…


Jesus said to Thomas, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”


I find this story – of the doubting Thomas – very relevant in life. There are a hundred things in my life, which, I have believed without seeing… Yes, I have simply trusted. In fact, trust dominates my life more, even though, occasionally, such simple trust (blind trust?) leaves me with unpleasant experiences. But, as I said, that’s a rare experience. Despite such unpleasant experiences, I have chosen to go about my life with more and more trust…


And, I think, most of us have chosen to do so.


And, yes, there are, also, some things in my life, which, like Thomas, I have flatly refused to believe without ‘seeing’. I find myself saying exactly those words, “Unless I see the nail marks…”


Doubt and Faith sustain Life. Easter would have never come if Good Friday wasn’t there! Sometimes, it’s good to ‘see and believe’. And, many times, as Jesus said, it is ‘blessed to believe without seeing’!


A Blessed Easter to all.









GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Susiemiller.com

Video: America Got Talent/YouTube


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