Learn from the blind, believing without seeing

I used to think that in a scientific world of today, we are justified to demand evidence for the proof of a certain fact/truth. We laugh at people of earlier ages who believed in things too easily before they found adequate proof. We look down on them because we think that they were unscientific and even superstitious. We support "doubting Thomas" and praise him as the first Empiricist when he did not believe in the testimony of his fellow apostles.

So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe." (John 20:25)

Even though Jesus appeared again, inviting Thomas to put his fingers into his wounds and made the following exhortation,

Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." (v. 29)

we are still sympathetic towards St. Thomas. We feel that Thomas had done nothing wrong, nothing unreasonable and did not deserve such a humiliation before the rest of the disciples. So I thought until recently.

My mum is 84. Perhaps it is a matter of character flaws, or a matter of failing memory, she is very insecure. At this moment of writing, she is counting the bank notes in her purse next to me. Once every ten minutes or so after dinner, she asked to inspect the balance in the passbook of the bank in which she deposits her life saving, Actually, she has gone to bed already but she still climbs out to count and to inspect .... Now, I begin to understand what Jesus means when he says "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe". Poor mum! She cannot even believe in what she sees.

From my mum, I understand now that belief involves more than simply perception and intelligence. You perceive some objective physical evidence. You make logical deduction and reach a judgment. This judgment is your belief. However, belief also involves a sense of security. Ancient people might appear to be superstitious because they demanded less "objective, scientific and positivist" evidence in order to believe. From our standard and point of view, ancient people believed all too easily. They were easily fooled by the clergy or other authoritative figures. However, from their perspective, modern people are too neurotic. Modern people uproot their own sense of security by a rejection of their own tradition and a declaration of the death of God in order to reinvent one wheel after yet another wheel. Nowadays, people of modern and scientific mind find very few things to believe in because no hard evidence is enough to satisfy their security needs.

Now, I do not envy St. Thomas, the Empiricist anymore. It was a pity that he could not meet the risen Jesus during the first apparition. When all other disciples told him that they had seen the risen Lord, Thomas must have thought that the others were playing tricks on him. Jewish persecution was looming large outside. Here and now, the brethren were trying to make a fool of him. He must have demanded such an empirical test to defend his sense of security. I do not think Jesus wanted to embarrass St. Thomas by inviting him to do his "St. Thomas Test". He was being merciful in condescending his glory and dignity to meet Thomas' needs and ours, like his incarnation and crucifixion. So, learn from the blind. Only when our hearts are at peace can we believe without seeing.

Dear Lord, grant us, especially my mum, Your peace which this world cannot give (John 14:27). Amen.