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Lectionary Cycle: Year A, Second Sunday of Easter
Scripture Readings: John 20:19-31 | 1 Peter 1:3-9 | Psalm 16 | Acts 2:14a, 22-32

Reflection: The Courage of Staying

There is a familiar tension in the wake of a monumental event. The moment after someone tells you, breathlessly, and with absolute certainty: "You have to believe this! It changed everything for me!" Many people want to share that certainty, yet find that they can't bridge the gap between another person's experience and their own. In these moments, it's common to feel a sense of spiritual or emotional isolation.

The disciple, Thomas, encountered this. When the other disciples offered their urgent testimony that they had seen the Lord, Thomas remained unmoved. His response was not one of cruelty or dismissiveness, but of profound honesty: “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

While history often labels him "Doubting Thomas," there is a significant detail in the narrative often overlooked: Thomas stayed! A week later, when the disciples gathered again, Thomas was with them. Despite his lack of certainty, he did not leave the community. He continued to show up in the room where resurrection was discussed, even before he had experienced it himself. This persistence represents a unique form of courage. The willingness to remain in the midst of uncertainty.

The other lectionary readings for this Sunday mirror this journey from instability to steadiness:

  • Acts 2:14a, 22-32: Peter stands before a crowd less than two months after denying Jesus three times. His bold declaration—“This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses”—is the voice of someone whose history of failure was transformed rather than erased.
  • Psalm 16: The Psalmist describes a posture of orientation: “I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” This is the confidence of steady practice rather than immediate proof.
  • 1 Peter 1:3-9: This text offers a candid description of faith: “Although you have not seen him, you love him.” It acknowledges a faith that lives in the space between the question and the answer.

Daily Application

 

In various seasons of life, most people find themselves in Thomas's position—not out of a lack of faith, but out of honesty. Certainties are tested by loss, disappointment, and the perceived silence of God.

The invitation of the Second Sunday of Easter is not to manufacture a feeling of certainty, but simply to "stay in the room." When Jesus returned for Thomas, he did not offer judgment; he offered the same greeting he gave the others: "Peace be with you." Peace was not a reward for perfect belief; it was the opening gesture. It was extended to the one who was still there, still waiting, and still willing to be surprised.

Whatever questions remain open or wounds remain unhealed, the invitation remains the same: remain present, and remain open to the peace that crosses the threshold.

Reflection

Is there an area of your life where you are "staying in the room?" Remaining present to a community, a relationship, or a conviction, even while you feel uncertain? What has that persistence given you that walking away might not have?

 

Closing Prayer / Meditation

"You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
— Psalm 16:11

Credits and Sources