In our gospel today, Thomas recognizes The Risen One by touching His wounds. Its not majestic light or profound wisdom that awakens Thomas. For Thomas, the wound is the very doorway to knowing Christ.

Every human soul, each one of us is also a Thomas. For in our time, we are called to know the living Christ, not merely believe. And like Thomas, we too cannot know the Christ in us, the Christ in others unless we touch the wound. However, even though every human being is wounded, not everyone’s wounds reveal The Risen One. If the wounds we carry are infected and closed up, full of resentment, bitterness and anger toward the world, then Christ remains un-raised in us. But if our wound is the very thing that has cracked us open to the light, so that from our wound peace, tenderness and love ray out to human beings, then Christ comes alive in us.

Dear friends, this is why the Risen Christ always appears in the gospels and in our lives with wounds and with peace. For The Christ in us in not how wise, light-filled or free from pain we are. The Christ in us appears when peace-filled love, streaming through our brokenness, touches the hearts of others.

This contemplation by Rev. Evans was inspired by John 20