all who have been reborn... show in their lives
the whole group of those who believed
how good and plesant it is when brethren live together in unity
we declare to you
a week later his disciples were again in the house, and this time thomas was with them
It is the story of Thomas' return to the community - from singular to plural - that strikes me today. For whatever reason, Thomas was not there when Jesus showed up for the first time. Last year I wondered if he was out following "the way, the truth, and the life." This year, I wonder if it was a self-imposed exile. Was Thomas out there wandering, wondering what next? It had all fallen apart right before his eyes. He had gone from "let us go with him to die" to "lord show us the way" to not even being there while the rest prayed together for a new course of action.
But with the rolling away of the stone and the resurrection of Jesus, it was time to get Thomas back. So some of (or all of) the disciples went and found him. They encouraged him to return to the plural, remembering that it was the singular that lead Judas to betray Jesus.
Are we taking seriously the call to reconcilation that brings people, all people, out of singularity and into the plural? Who do we ignore? Where are our blindspots?
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