Acts 5:27-32
Psalm 118: 14-29
Revelation 1: 4-8
John 20: 19-31
The backdrop to this story is that it immediately follows Jesus’ resurrection. I guess that always seems to “up the ante” on this story, and in addition to that, there is the added pressure of being under lock-and-key out of fear of religious retaliation. With that, the words of greeting by Jesus seem so out of place: “Peace be with you!” I guess that is why I cannot seem to overlook the exclamation mark, and once again, we find the exclamation mark in the second greeting. Strange how when things seem desperate, we are not always so clear in our minds about what to do and how we are to react. This may be true of other Biblical stories as well as day-to-day experiences and life in general.
Now as if these greetings have not disrupted our sense of balance or our illusion of control, Jesus, for some reason, thinks sending us into the world is a good thing. Jesus is “sending” us into the world to pronounce a message of forgiveness or (hold your breath) a word that holds forgiveness back. Intrigue barely covers the scandal of that message. Then, the second shoe falls as Thomas, with an open admission, confesses that unless some pretty definite proof is provided, he for one is not going to believe in a resurrected Christ. The intrigue is that, of course, Thomas is known as Didymus or “the twin.” Forgive me if “I” seem to be interpreting that as a reference to my own faith here. At times, I seem to be his twin-doubting brother with a skepticism that can defy reason, and it seems even more pronounced when I cannot see and touch and use my senses to evaluate the truth of something. Trust me. I “get” Thomas.
At the heart of this text, though, is what Jesus does to bring about change in the story. Jesus pronounces his intentions for us—that he is sending us into the world, and then he follows that with a spirit-filled breathing on us. Some follow up is maybe helpful here because I cannot help but see a connection between this story and the creation story. We all know that story well and probably already connect that story with our EcoFaith concerns. God created a “good” earth and created humankind in his image; in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them. And, it was good! The intrigue for me always lies in the language surrounding the creation of Adam—first because Adam’s name means “Earth,” and second because God breathed into Adam the breath of life. God breathed not just the physical life of being a human being (a great gift in itself), but also the gift of living in the spirit life of God. It’s remembering that the word for breath and the word for spirit are the same word in the Hebrew language. Living in the spirit life of our creator is to breathe life into this earth and to be His messengers. Gods’ message is a message of forgiveness and also a message of protection for the world.
At a funeral, I often share a story with the family that I once heard about where God’s name originated. Again, it is a part of the creation narrative. God formed Adam from the dust of the earth and then breathed into the dust the breath of life. If one says “Yahweh” as one breathes in, it reminds them that God’s name is on our lips with our first breath and even as we take our last. It is surprising how deeply that connects with people to their creator as they say their final good-byes to their loved ones. I actually ask them to breathe in with me as we share that moment of mutual grief. God is at the center of all living things. Taking care of the earth is from the beginning and to the end our constant calling and concern. Caring for people and caring for the earth go hand in hand.
Now as we look to the other three texts for this Sunday, we notice many ways that this story gets deepened and repeated. From Psalm 150 verse 6: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”
Just look at all the ways praise is offered to God in this Psalm. God breathes life into all things, and we lift that up as evidence concerning a truth about Yahweh, the one who breathes life into us and the one whose spirit is alive and life for us. We may doubt this at times, but with each breath we take, faith is renewed, and the calling to go and share the good news is filling our spirit with the spirit of the resurrected Christ. And, a new day begins. To that end, may we breathe deeply with the breath and message God has given us to proclaim. He is risen, he is risen indeed!