THE POWER OF OUR WOUNDS
(Monday, April 28, 2025)
Why does the risen Lord still have His wounds, which Thomas is able to see and touch, so he believes it is none other than Christ, his King and his God? Because He wants still to have His wounds, as one of us, who also have our wounds. He shows us how to be wounded and yet free; and yet even joyous, and empowered to testify to others, also wounded, how to walk forward and to testify to the power of God in our lives. We don’t have to be perfect, either physically or otherwise, to be vessels of God’s unifying light, hope and all-forgiving love, in our world.
But oftentimes we might be ashamed of our wounds, or bitter about them, or resentful of others or ourselves, who inflicted the wounds. But our new life in Christ is not erasing our wounds, sometimes visible and sometimes invisible ones. Whether we have gone through a painful divorce, or lost our jobs or our homes, or were slandered or somehow betrayed by a loved one, or we ourselves have betrayed our loved ones, or have struggled with an addiction, or struggle with some other disease, – when we allow ourselves to follow our risen-and-still-wounded Lord, and embrace the new life and new hope with which He wants to embrace us, His imperfect and wounded followers, we find a new Way to move forward. And to return into communion with Him and others, if our wounds have been leading us to self-isolation, resentment or self-centered fear.
I was also thinking, on this Thomas Sunday, about the fact that Thomas and most of the other disciples abandoned our Lord, when His wounds were being inflicted on Him. And then they didn’t believe the women, that He is risen, although He told them repeatedly that He would be killed but would rise again. Yet He re-enters into their midst, despite their closed doors, and says, Peace, Shalom. He does admonish them for a lack of faith, but no apologies are demanded or made, not even in Peter’s case. What He does is He eats with them, and communion is restored. Thank You, Lord, for challenging us to unity, even as we struggle with our wounds. Let us not be ashamed of them, but testify to them as did You, as we walk forward into Your new freedom and new happiness.
