We don’t like to admit it, but most of us are a bit like Thomas of today’s Gospel. Not because we’re faithless but because we’re human.
We’ve all had moments where belief felt easy and other moments where it didn’t.
Times when everything made sense, and times when we quietly wondered, is this really true? or where is God in all of this?
Like Thomas, we don’t just want to hear that something is real, we want to feel it, to know it for ourselves.
And honestly, that’s not a flaw. It’s part of being human.
Thomas had just gone through loss, confusion, and fear. The world he thought he understood had fallen apart. So when the others told him they had seen Jesus Christ alive, it probably sounded too good, almost impossible. His doubt wasn’t cold rejection, it was cautious hope protecting itself.
We do the same thing.
When life disappoints us, when prayers don’t seem answered, or when things don’t go the way we expected, a part of us pulls back.
We hesitate.
We question.
We want something solid before we risk believing again.
What’s beautiful in the Gospel is this, Jesus doesn’t shame Thomas for that.
He doesn’t say, you should have known better. He doesn’t push him away.
Instead, He comes back for Thomas.
Right into his doubt. Right into his questions. He meets him there, gently, personally.
That’s the part we often forget.
We think doubt puts distance between us and God, but this story shows the opposite.
Sometimes, it’s exactly where God meets us most personally, not when we have everything figured out, but when we’re still trying to make sense of it all.
So yes, we all have a bit of Thomas in us.
The part that questions.
The part that hesitates.
The part that wants to believe, but isn’t always sure how.
And maybe that’s okay.
If Thomas teaches us anything, it’s this, you don’t have to have perfect faith to be close to God. You just have to be honest enough to keep showing up and open enough to recognize Him when He comes to meet you there.
A take home.
Don’t hide your doubts. Bring them honestly to God. Stay open, keep showing up, and trust that clarity often comes after you take a small step of faith.
✍️ Amara Ann Unachukwu
