Clerestory Windows Series: Thomas

This window represents the Apostle Thomas. The carpenter's square was chosen because he was said to have built a church with his own hands. It is also the form of a Christian church (the Thompson Church in northwest India). The arrows signify his death.

Poor Thomas. Jesus walked by and said, "Leave everything and follow me." Thomas followed. He made a commitment that few, if any, of us could have made. He believed enough to leave everything he knew and risked his life to follow a renegade rabbi. Tradition tells us he traveled throughout India spreading the Gospel and that he even built a church with his own hands. But none of these acts are why Thomas is remembered.

Thomas is remembered for his doubt. His friends tell him that Jesus has been resurrected. They tell him that the only certainty in life, death, was no longer a problem for God’s people. Thomas probably thinks that his friends had let their grief overpower them to the point where they were seeing things that weren’t really there, or that they had drunk too much wine with their dinner. He thinks what most of us would think in the same situation–I’ll believe it when I see it. And for that natural reaction, Thomas will always be remembered as the one who doubted.

The real cruelty of this for Thomas is that most people see doubt as a bad thing. Our culture tells us that doubt is a product of weakness. That if our faith was strong enough, we wouldn’t have room for doubt. If we prayed harder, God would reveal all truth to us. That bad things happen to us because we don’t believe strongly enough. That doubt is a stumbling block that keeps us from realizing our full potential, an impediment to the growth of our faith.

The truth is that doubt is not a stumbling block; it can be one of the most powerful building blocks of a strong faith. Faith without doubt is blind, and often shallow. It is a faith based on repeating what we have been told, not one that comes from examining and dissecting what we believe. Faith without doubt can be easily overwhelmed with too many unanswered questions when bad things happen. Only those who question what they believe can truly grow in their faith. The reality is that the ability to deal with doubt, to acknowledge that we don’t have all the answers, is a sign of strength, not weakness.

So next time someone tries to look down upon you because you don’t have all the answers, look to Thomas as an example. Don’t worry about what other people think, doubt bravely, question what you believe, and grow in your faith. And don’t forget to thank Thomas–it’s about time he got some respect.

Brandon Gilliam

Questions, comments, or broken links? Please email the webmaster at bgilliam@bgilliam.com
Unless otherwise stated, all material contained in this web site is Copyright © 2015 by Brandon Gilliam.