Wednesday, June 27

Reflection

Honestly, i seldom read the Bible and those few times i've read it, i found several Bible passages that i enjoy, such as The Prodigal Son, Noah's Ark and that of doubting Thomas. However, if i am to pick one, i'd have to say, without doubt, the passage on Doubting Thomas (John 20:24-29).

As Christians, we are called to believe without having witnessed Christ's birth, death and resurrection. It's much like Thomas, except he had encountered Jesus, yet he could not believe that He had risen from the dead.

"Unless i see the scars of the nails in his hands and put my finger on those scars and my hand on his side, i will not believe."

Perhaps, you might be thinking that it was ridiculous- how could Thomas make such a demand and not believe in Christ? Well, so am i.

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Then again, haven't we all been doubting thomases once, twice or maybe many many times? When have we doubted our Lord's existence and lost our faith, blamed Him for everything bad that happened to us and gave up hope that things will ever change? We cry out "Lord, give me a sign to show me You are there. Help me out of this!"

well, i have. Its so easy to lose our belief in our religion, something so fragile and maybe intangible? We are not witnesses of Jesus' life, yet we are called to be Christ's witnesses. Many times, i have

I suppose it is that doubt Thomas possessed that he lost faith in Jesus that strikes home, for its familiar to me when i falter in my faith. The Bible was something i thought of as irrelevant to my life, but i am a doubting Thomas as well and this rare connection i feel is why this is my No1.

i recall my 3000m race in '05 and '06. In the first year, i prayed to God to help me run my best race. I completed it but it was far from a good race. I didn't have an answered prayer, and though this is shallow i started to doubt His existence. Is God real? Is heaven real?

then in '06, i was to run the same race. i was skeptical God would give me that extra boost to run well. But, with this passage at the back of my mind, i somehow trusted in God. Being a doubting Thomas robs me of hope that i could do well and i decided against it. I held on to my faith that the Lord would give me strength.

He did.

I learnt that however much we cant seem to trust that God is here for us, we need to, because when we do, He is truly there, intangible physically yet tangible within our hearts and souls. That Bible passage gave me a chance to grow spiritually and to believe.

"How happy are those who believe without seeing me!" Christ said.

How true.

7:43 PM /