The Day After-Believe

Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. John 20:24-31 (NKJV)

Recently, a reporter called to ask my opinion about the condition of our local historic cemeteries. His inquiry was sparked by a story he is doing on the veterans of the Civil War, both Union and Confederate, buried there. I told him that no matter what side the man (and in some cases, woman) fought for, they should be honored and their gravesites treated with care simply because of their willingness to risk their life for what they believed in. As our nation marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, I hope others focus this way and not rehash the war. One of the reasons, I entered into a period of contemplation during Lent was to think about what I truly believe about God. What do I think about Who He is and what He has done for me? When I was studying to become a historian and learning about events like the Civil War, I understood for the first time that God gifted me with an excellent brain. In fact, it was during college, that I recognized I was “smart” and if I applied myself, I could do very well. I succeeded in that pursuit and won many awards as a student including being inducted into Phi Beta Kappa honor society. But, that same brain sometimes gets me into trouble when it comes to issues of faith. Because I like to prove, to document and to analyze and when it comes to God, that is almost impossible. My whole life periodically the doubts will surface. What if I am following a lie? What is Jesus really was never raised from the dead? What if there is not God? My brain has been no help when it comes to answers. There are authors out there like Lee Strobel who have made “a case” for God, but when it comes right down to it, believing in God is like jumping off a cliff where the bottom is so far down you cannot see it. But, what enables you to make that leap is truly knowing God by having a relationship with Him and spending time with Him in prayer and in Bible Study. I read this quote on someone else’s blog recently. If it was yours, I apologize, but I can’t remember whose it was. Ernest Boyer Jr. said, “God is not a belief to which you give your assent. God becomes a reality whom you know intimately, meet everyday, one whose strength becomes your strength, whose love, your love. Live this life of the presence of God long enough and when someone asks you, “Do you believe there is a God?” you may find yourself answering, “No, I do not believe there is a God, I KNOW there is a God.”” The more I spent time with God during Lent, the less I doubted and the more I believed. But, now the question comes, like the Civil War veterans, “Would I give my life for what I believe?”