Thomas, Stop doubting and believe!

Binhi sang Pagtuo

April 27, 2009

Dear Centralians and Friends,

Greetings from the Chaplain’s Office!

Our reflection for this week comes from John 20:26-29. It is one of the many stories after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The focus of the story is the doubt of Thomas. He will not believe unless he can put his fingers in the wounds of Jesus. When Jesus appeared to them, he said to Thomas, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

A decade ago, Dr. Lester Ruiz told me a story that illustrates faith.

He said that every time he goes to work in New York, he sometimes see a blind man with a seeing-eye-dog. This blind man will take a train from Trenton to Princeton. He told me that every time he sees this blind man, he felt both sadness and envy. Sadness because Dr. Ruiz has sight and he does not and envy because that blind man fully comprehend what faith is.

Dr. Ruiz is right. The “eyes of faith” are eyes that are blind. In order for us to have faith, we have to be blind and must remain blind. This should not be confused with being blind to the realities of life, but blind in a sense that you do not know the exact details of what will happen but you are excited on what it will be because you believe that God has in store something good for you.

The hymn says,

I don't know about tomorrow,
I just live from day to day.
I don't borrow from it's sunshine,
For it's skies may turn to gray.
I don't worry o'er the future,
For I know what Jesus said,
And today I'll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead.

Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know Who holds tomorrow,
And I know Who holds my hand.

Let us remember the words of Jesus to Thomas, “Stop doubting and believe!”

May God bless us all!

Sincerely,

Pastor Francis Neil G. Jalando-on
Assistant Chaplain