Lessons from Thomas
Over the years that I have been a Christian, the disciple Thomas has been subject to an almost total re-imagination. Times without number, I have heard preachers rebuke us for calling him ‘doubting Thomas’. On at least one occasion I have said myself that it is no fairer to call him ‘doubting Thomas’ than it is to call Peter ‘denying Peter’. The fact remains, though, that until his remarkable declaration of faith in John 20, he is not saved. In John 11 he shows admirable resolve, urging his fellow disciples to quell their fears and head for Jerusalem with Jesus that ‘we might die with him’. In John 14 he voices the kind of honesty for which the other disciple were doubtless grateful – but his honest question will not save him. In the end, neither passion nor curiosity will suffice – only the desire to believe.
Consider it as the story of two logos, below. Apple’s initial logo design was of Isaac Newton – sitting below the apple tree engaged in the pursuit of knowledge. This was a picture of curiosity. The current logo, instantly recognisable around the world, is a picture of desire, like the bitten apple in Eden of old:
There comes a point for every Thomas when enthusiasm and honesty must yield to a wholehearted and unfettered declaration of faith – don’t you think?