What we cannot see

"Then Jesus told him [Thomas], 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'" (John 20:29 NIV)

Can you think of things you can't see, but you know them to be true? The first thing that may come to mind is the wind. We can't see the wind, but we believe the wind is real because we can see it rustle through the grass, move the leaves on trees, and feel the breeze on our cheeks.

Think about the fragrance of a rose. That is something we cannot see, but when we put our nose into the flower and sniff we are certainly aware that the wonderful scent is real.

How about love? You can't actually see love; you can only see the results of love. Think about the people who love you and what comes from their love. Your mom and dad care for you everyday and provide what you need so that you will be happy and safe. Love feels like a very real thing, doesn't it, even though we can't see it?

Jesus, after he had died, appeared to his disciples before he went to be with God. Can you imagine how surprising this must have been? The disciples who were there and saw Jesus believed, but one of the disciples named Thomas, who was not there, said he could not believe that Jesus had been given new life until he could see Jesus with his own eyes.

Jesus did appear, once again to the disciples, including Thomas, and when Thomas saw Jesus he said, "My Lord and my God."

Jesus said, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

We all have doubts. We question things and that is good. But, this lesson teaches us that it is not necessary to see something with our own eyes to know it is real. No one knows what God looks like, but we can see the results of His Love in the world around us and we can feel it in our hearts. Jesus said, "Blessed are those who have not see and yet have come to believe."

Dear God, We thank you for the beauty of the earth, for the glory of our faith, for the awe-inspiring sacrifice of the cross, and the wonder of the resurrection. We thank you for the individuals who share this faith community with us. We thank you for our blessings. For the height and depth of all we know and those things which we have not yet discovered, we praise your name, giving thanks for your trust in us as stewards of all that is seen and unseen. AMEN.

Charlotte Austin McCary's Chapel United Methodist Church