It was front page news a few weeks ago… a homeless woman in Toronto begging on the streets. She's been at the corner of Bay and Bloor for about 3 or 4 years… looking ragged and ill…. Her signs tells you that she is ill and needs money to get better… and she promises that she will pray for you whether you help her or not. Someone followed her… saw her collect her belongings and put them in the trunk of a $50,000 car and drive. She's not homeless… and she's not really sick. But one reporter figured that she was making a little better than $2,000 a week.
A little more than a week ago, it seemed that the US was encouraging Israel to take military action against the PLO. Now, they have been told to back off. Was it the increase in oil prices or a question of human rights that made the change? A short time ago it looked like we might be coming to close to a 2 state agreement and peace in the Middle East.
I simply don't believe anything I read in the papers or see on tv anymore. I'm tired. I'm cynical. I'm not alone. I hear regularly from my kids and my friends that the Government is out to get us; The Provincial Government is cheating us; The Federal Government is stealing from us; everything on tv is a rip-off (One of my sons figured that 2,000 flushes doesn't work for that long at all… but by the time you've proven that it only works for 1,000 flushes, it's dissolved and the evidence is gone) Some days it is hard to believe in anything.
In this morning's Gospel, Jesus says to Thomas "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." Well, as much as we love those words, I think that we are more likely to say "Blessed are those who believed without seeing, but frankly better to see then be made to look foolish."
So what does this story of Thomas offer us this morning? What does it say to a world that finds it fashionable and reasonable to doubt and disbelieve? Consider the story - Jesus had been crucified and his body put in the tomb - supposedly forever. His friends and followers had real concerns about being arrested themselves. Driven by fear and no small amount of depression they hid. They hid with friends. They hid outside of Jerusalem. We know a couple that left for Emmaus and others probably ran as far away as possible. But a few of them got together. Maybe they hid out together. They consoled each other.
And then they heard the news. One of their own, Mary Magdalene came with the news, Jesus had risen. Suddenly things began to fall into the place. The stories that he had told, the almost cryptic things that he had said. He was alive. The dream was alive. Their faith had not been misplaced. Then to top it off Jesus appeared to them - spoke with them - ate with them. The joy and excitement they must have felt must have been indescribable - imagine winning the lottery, celebrating the birth of a child, finding your long lost love (hopefully that doesn't conflict with the birth of a child), getting good news from the doctor and getting money back on your income tax, and the Leafs winning the Stanley Cup, all in one day. It must have been like that, only 100 times as good. But Thomas wasn't there. He was somewhere by himself. When he shows up, everybody is excited and happy, filled with energy and planning for the future, but he feels left out (that'll teach him to miss church!).
They tell him the good news. "Jesus has risen".
"Maybe," Thomas replies, "But I doubt it."
"No, really," another apostle chimes in, "We didn't just hear about it - he was
right here!"
Thomas considers this. "Well, I'm not prepared to buy it - not until I can see him myself. Not until I can put my hands in the wound on his side myself. Then maybe, I'll believe, but I doubt it!"
Who can blame him? Everything that he had believed in had been shattered. He had gone with Jesus prepared to die (he did offer just before the trip into Jerusalem). But when they got to Jerusalem they were met with a parade. They were local celebrities. There was singing; cheering. He - they - were on top of the world and the people loved them - just one week ago. But since then a trusted friend had betrayed them to the authorities. The people had betrayed them and called for, no, demanded, Jesus' crucifixion. And finally Jesus had betrayed Thomas personally by dying. He wasn't supposed to; he was the son of God and had no business dying and leaving them without protection, leadership and love. Thomas was all trusted out. He was hurt. Maybe he felt foolish, like he had been taken in and fooled by the people who had cheered them on their way into Jerusalem - maybe he felt like he had been tricked by Jesus. Kind of the way we feel when the homeless woman isn't want she appears to be… but instead makes more money than you or me.
Jesus came back. He said, "Peace be with you." Then he said, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe."
And Thomas cried out, "My Lord and my God!" His faith was restored. "Wait a minute, "you say, "What do you mean his faith was restored. There was no faith involved. He saw, how could he not believe?"
He saw Jesus raised from the dead - but he had seen that done before. He was there when Lazarus was resurrected and he didn't think that Lazarus was "My Lord and my God!" He recognized that Jesus was alive, but then he took it a step further and confessed that Jesus was Lord. Jesus was the son of God. That was faith. That confession gave way to Jesus proclaiming "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." The words that are the very foundation of our church. We are blessed, even though we have not seen. We are as valid witnesses as the Apostles, even though we live almost 2,000 years later. In many ways those words changed our whole world.
And it took two things: the Truth and Faith. Two things. Jesus, risen from the dead. Not some trick. Not some actor. The real Jesus alive. The Truth. And Thomas' confession "My Lord, My God" Faith. For any real change to occur in this life we need those two things. In our relationships with our children - we have to be truly open, honest with them about our hopes and desires for them, about our willingness to help them. And we need them to believe in the truth we share. We need them to believe in us.
If we want to change this society that we live in - we need the truth. We need to be honest about who we are, where we want to go, what we really need. And we need to believe in each other and the vision that we share.
If we want to live a whole life, we need to come truthfully to God. Not pretending to be something that we're not. Not pretending that God is other than God. We need the truth. And them we have to have faith - we need to work at it and stay with it. Without both truth and faith it doesn't work. No change occurs. There is no joy. No trust. Just big smiles that take the place of real joy and fear that it won't last or that we will be found out.
In this morning's story Jesus came to be seen by Thomas. It was what Thomas really needed. In that story we are being told that God is there. The genuine article is offered. Not just to Thomas, but to us. The truth is not being kept from us - it's right in front of us. God is with us. But for real change to occur we need both truth and faith. We provide the faith. That's how change occurs.
I remember listening to the outrage over the fake homeless woman. I recall hearing a respected News Reporter on the radio saying, "That's the reason that I never give money to street people – ever! I'm not getting ripped off!" Reminded me of the woman, years ago, who had her purse stolen. Do you remember she had cancer. She lost her medication (pain relievers), her entire savings ($150.00) and a bus ticket that was to provide transport for her son to Winnipeg when she died. It was tragic
People went to the CIBC bank and started to make donations. I think that something around $120,000 was raised. Then the woman was exposed as a fraud. She was charged with public mischief. Once again, we all rallied around the flag of cynicism. I remember eavesdropping on two women at lunch:
"Well, it serves them right!"
"Obviously she didn't have cancer, she had all her hair!"
"How could people be so gullible?"
"They should throw her in jail!"
I couldn't listen further. It was obvious to me that they had not lined up at the CIBC to contribute money to the young woman and her son. It was clear that had not participated at all, other than to read about it. Maybe that had felt warm inside when they first heard the story and now were covering up their disappointment with cynicism - or maybe they never believed. It sounded to me like they had never become part of the story, emotionally or otherwise. If they never believed, I can assure you that nothing changed for them. Regardless of the veracity of the young woman's celebrated plight - nothing was going to change for them. They would still be sitting on that same bench today, sharing cynical commentary… And it has nothing to do with the health and life expectancy of any young woman.
Nothing changes because they could not believe! The woman in the newspaper wasn't the real tragedy to me - the couple on the bench were. Yes, sometimes it hurts to believe- sometimes the truths we have to face are ugly - sometimes we will be mistaken and look foolish - but it we don't take those chances than nothing ever changes. Not the world. Not our society. Not us.
Truth and Faith. God has offered and continues to offer Truth, we need to supply the Faith. Without it - nothing changes. Nothing gets better. But we did believe, the problem was that she was a liar. Maybe. But we have to keep believing and trying. When Truth and Faith do come together, it is nothing short of miraculous. Bone Marrow donors are found. Hospitals are built.
Families and individuals are supported and loved through hard times. Collective Kitchens are set up. Wars are ended. Civil Rights are recognized and dignity is shared. Apartheid is dismantled. Cancer research is funded. Hospices are built and staffed by volunteers. Whales are saved. The world is made a little bit warmer. The cost is the occasional mistake. Famed coach Vince Lombardi was once asked which team would win an important foot-ball game. He said, "The team that makes the most mistakes" The team making the most mistakes is the team trying the hardest. That's the team I want to be on.
As a minister, people often come to me looking for money. Many are charlatans… some aren't. I remember once, a fellow asking me for $40.00 bus fare to get to Cornwall where he hoped to pick up a ride to New Brunswick and his father whom he hadn't seen in years. He kept assuring me that he would mail the money back to me as soon as he got a little ahead. He assured me that he wasn't scamming me - he was really on his way to Cornwall and he would send me my money back. I told him, "Maybe your scamming me and maybe you're - it's worth $40.00 for me not to lose faith in people and my ability to help somebody out." I meant it. I said the same thing to lots of people - very few ever sent money back - but a couple did and I still believe.
So must we. In the Gospel Jesus makes it clear that God is with us. The truth is present.
In the story of the "not so" homeless woman, it's not the fraud that sticks out for me – it's that people will give over $100,000 a year to a needy woman with a sign…. In that, and in the money we raised for Big Brothers just by bowling or the baby food that we delivered simply because we want to help…… in the many other stories we hear of folks reaching out to help, - it is clear to me that Faith is present. The desire to reach out and care is there. When these two forces truly come together in a big way - then big changes are a comin'. And I know that they can only be for the Good. Thanks be to Jesus for Truth. Thanks be to us for the Faith that will make things better. And thanks be to God for putting us on the same team and promising us victory.
(Comments to Norm at norman.seli@sympatico.ca.)
Enniskillen & Tyrone United Churches, Ontario Canada