John 20:19-31

             When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”  After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

              But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “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.”

              A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “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.”

             Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Christ the Wounded

Last Spring, a woman named Marleen Brooks came home to a letter.  It was handwritten, which most of us don’t see very often, and what it said was this, “Would you consider being my friend?  I’m 90 years old.  I live alone and my friends have all passed away.  I am so lonesome and scared.  Please, I pray for someone.”  It included a name and an address.  It was from Wanda Mills who lived in a house just a little bit across the street.  Wanda had caregivers who came and went but she was longing for a friend, for someone to know and be known.  She had lost her spouse, her friends and one of her sons.  And Marleen, who received the letter, said she had thought the house was empty.  And Marleen, at 37, remembered her grandmother who had raised her and who had died in hospice and on her own, a fact that weighed on her.

Marleen knocked on the door the next day, along with a friend of hers; they brought cupcakes.  They ended up sitting and talking for over an hour and a relationship was formed.  Marleen would come to visit sometimes on her own and sometimes with her husband and her kids.  Marleen ended up starting up a group called “Pen pals for Seniors,” trying to connect folks for relationship.  Hundreds of letters were sent.

And I love this story because I love Marleen’s actions and response and love but really I’m struck from the outset: I am awestruck by Wanda’s letter because it’s such a vulnerable thing to say, to reveal that you’re lonely, to have the courage to put it in writing and send it off for a stranger to see.  What a vulnerability to admit or to have a part of yourself exposed.  And yet it’s because of this letter, because Wanda had that courage, that her needs were known and it was here she was met and seen because she would let this wound be shown.

Our Scripture today comes from the Gospel of John.  Jesus was not just raised from the dead and the disciples threw a party.  Instead, at the beginning of this scene Mary Magdalene has already come and then back announcing that she has seen the Lord, an