44. Sunday of Doubting Thomas

The week following the astonishing resurrection phenomenon, in real time, seven suns and moons, was bright. Even I, prisoner of earth that I am, was given all the freedom I wanted. So I flew all around Judaea, and when that bored me I travelled forward in time around the world. No matter where I was in time or space, the entire world was bright and cheerful. I spotted families feasting as if they hadn't eaten in a month. Children with ice cream cones sat on steps licking drips while moms in kitchen whipped up waffles. I saw young men chasing chickens that had grown big and plump during the Lenten days of reprieve. Happy days.

I supposed the concept of immortality was catching on, and the people were pleased to know that they could live forever. I imagined that I too would be happy if I had just heard for the first time that I didn't have to die.

"You must believe it, or it isn't true." Whispered a mysterious childlike voice in my ear.

"Who said that?" I looked all around for the being who caste a shadow on all this reverie.

I rotated my head left and right till I spotted a tiny little fairy, with a miniature body and wings who flittered up to my face and hovered there, looking all adorable and cheerful. She said, "it was me; I said it."

"Who are you?" I asked in a tone of amazement because I had never met a fairy before. She certainly was not an angel, and she wasn't human either; she seemed to be a magical combination of both. "Look around at all the celebration, lots of people obviously believe it. I believe it because I saw everything. I saw the people escaping Hades, lots of other people in Jerusalem saw them too. We know it is true!" I argued.

She countered, "Some people just like to celebrate, they don't care why, or if it is true. They just want a reason to have a party. Did you stick around Jerusalem long enough to hear Thomas doubt? Watch this:"

Suddenly in front of my eyes appeared a hologram, a kind of movie projection of a scene onto the air. In it I saw the disciples all gathered together in the upper room talking about the resurrection.

One of the disciples, a good man named Thomas walked in the room. John ran up to Thomas and said, "Guess what? We have seen The Lord! He is alive again, He returned!"

Thomas responded, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in His hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in His side, I will not believe.” The others all looked at each other and at Thomas and shrugged. They couldn't convince him of what they had seen with their own eyes. So they stopped trying.

The vision disappeared, and I looked up at Tinker-belle and said, "This is a problem. What is the sense of Jesus paving the way to the land of immortality, if no one can see the path, or believes where it leads them? He can't appear to every man woman and child throughout time!"

Tinker-belle replied, "Maybe He won't have to. Look at this scene:

In a similar hologram I saw the disciples gathered again. Thomas was with them this time. Jesus entered right through the shut door, stood there and said, “Peace be with you.” Then addressing Thomas He said, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas did what Jesus asked and then looked up at His face and exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

Again the vision dissolved and I found myself hovering with this little fairy, wondering what to say. After all, I didn't have a problem. Just to break the silence I said, "What do you think Jesus should do? He just went through all of this anguish to be crucified so He could reach the Tree of Life, and release the prisoners of Hades, and create a way for humankind to be immortal and only the few who saw with their eyes believe it ever happened."

"I know what can be done!" I exclaimed with one of my rare but brilliant thoughts, "This is where the Bride comes in! She will carry the message throughout history, but more than that She will work with Jesus, with the Father, and with the guardian angels, to guide the chosen people of God on that path to the Tree of Life!"

"Many will not believe the Bride either." replied Tinker-belle somberly.

Neither of us being human, could figure out why seeing and touching was a requirement for believing. "Have you ever been to the twenty-first century?" I asked Tinker-belle. Before she could answer I blurted out, "In those days there are plenty of things going on that the humans accept on faith because they can neither see nor touch them. They only see the effects of them."

Just then, Jesus appeared before us and said, "What are you two discussing?"

"Jesus! Where did you come from? We were wondering how You were going to managed to convince humanity of the option for eternal life when so few will have ever seen you."

"Oh that! Don't fret! I have done My job. Stick around, you will see even greater things than you ever saw before. Be patient. Come back to Israel with Me now. Watch Me amaze and shock folks for another few weeks. You too Tinker-belle, come with us."

And off Tinker-belle and I went with Jesus back to Israel relieved that we didn't have to convince anyone that we were real, or that Jesus paved the way to eternal life with God.