Doubting Thomas and the Power of Showing

Did you ever have show and tell in school when you were a kid?  You know what I’m talking about, you bring in an item, show it to your classmates and then tell them what it is and why it’s special.  We usually think of showing and telling as going together, but in creative circles, like storytelling or screen or playwriting, showing and telling are often in conflict with one another. Back in my acting days my directors would always say, “Don’t tell me, show me!” You see, telling is about relaying information, it’s cerebral.  Showing, on the other hand, is experiential.  It says something without having to use words.  The Russian playwright Anton Chekov once said, “Don’t tell me the moon is shining, but show me the glint of light on broken glass.”

An Orthodox icon of the story of Doubting Thomas

This past Sunday we heard the familiar story of Doubting Thomas (John 20: 19-31).  The disciples who were met by the resurrected Jesus in that upper room on Easter Sunday morning were so moved by the experience that they had to tell Thomas, the only one not there, about it.  I’m sure they were very detailed in their explanation, painting a perfect mental picture, but Thomas doesn’t believe them.  Thomas isn’t about telling, he wants to be shown.  So the next week Jesus arrives in the same manner and shows Thomas the nail and spear marks on his body, prompting Thomas to give that beautiful exclamation, “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus shows, he doesn’t tell.  Before his crucifixion Jesus showed people the love and mercy of God, much more than telling.  And after his resurrection, he doesn’t just rely on the disciples to tell Thomas that he has been raised, but he comes to Thomas and shows that he his alive. 

For too long history was not kind to Thomas, who of course was referred to as Doubting Thomas and  chastised for the fact that he could not believe without seeing.  But one thing to remember about that line from Jesus—blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe—is that that line is not Thomas, but it is for the community of John’s Gospel, and everyone who has come after, none of whom have seen a physical Jesus, resurrected version or not.  Doubting Thomas is not exactly a fair nickname because rather than being a dig at Thomas, Jesus' words are meant to support and encourage those of us who are shown the glory of Jesus in a world where he is not physically present.  Thomas simply wants to experience Jesus, rather than be told about him. I suspect we can all relate to that.  

In this way Thomas is very much a model disciple for all of us.  We have all doubted, questioned, and wondered.  I would not be a priest were it not for those who encouraged my own questions and curiosities over the years. Faith should not just be informational, believing blindly what someone says just because.  Instead, faith is meant to be experiential, it is to be shown.  Jesus showed himself to Thomas in order that Thomas may go and show his faith to others—which history says he did among people as far east as modern-day India.  Thomas’ example reminds us that it is in questioning that we go deeper in our relationship with God and achieve greater spiritual maturity.  Our wondering, our doubting leads us to a place where merely telling is not enough.  Truthfully, if we are to go out into the world and make disciples, as Jesus instructs us to do, simply telling will not do it.  People want to experience the resurrected Jesus, they want to be shown the power of his love and mercy.  Jesus showed himself to Thomas, and Thomas showed his faith to the world.  Can we not do the same?  Can we not go and show our faith in our actions more so than our simply our words?  Can we not invite others into an experience, instead of just relaying information?  Remember the words of Theresa of Avila, that Jesus has no hands, no feet, but yours!  So go and show your faith, as Jesus and Thomas did! Thanks be to God for Doubting Thomas, who reminds us of the power of showing over telling.  Blessed Thomas, pray for us.