Thomas said, “Look I had to go to a “Thing”.”

^“Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin,^[d] was not with them when Jesus came.  John 20:24

Crankeverend (CR) understands how Thomas was feeling that first day of the week, when Jesus appeared to the disciples.  Thomas was away – he had a “Thing” he needed to be at, and he just couldn’t be there.  Where was the “thing”?  It was out there – somewhere.  CR was at a local college campus the other day when CR and his wife ran into a student we have known since he was little.  He was excited to see us.  He said “What are you doing here? (meaning on campus).  We told him our son had a meeting and we were attending the meeting as well.  He then said, very excitedly “You have to go and try the thing, the thing that is out there.  It is awesome. I don’t know what they call it but that thing, you know you swing a hammer and hit a thing — you should try it.”  CR understood.  He was excited — he was pumped up about not just this “Thing” but everything about college.  In the same way, it does not matter what the “Thing” is that calls us away from important events, since we all have excuses, you know, “Things” that take us away from being with the Lord, from being in church, and from being present when the big things happen in the family, in our jobs, or in our relationships.  We all have “Things” that we need to do.  Thomas was no exception. 

The problem with “Things” is that people can see them as excuses — which don’t always hold up to the scrutiny of others who may also have had a “Thing” they could have been at instead of being at the important event that demanded their presence.  In other words, most “Things” are just “things”.  

This may have not been the case with Thomas, we will never know.  But since the disciples, soon to be apostles, were so afraid, so concerned, so confused with the “Things” that had happened with the crucifixion, and then the empty tomb, and then the news that someone had seen Jesus alive, whatever “Thing” it was that kept him away must have been a significant “Thing” – and not just an excuse.  Can we give Thomas this benefit of the doubt?  I think we can…after all we hope others give us the benefit of the doubt when we have a “Thing” that calls us away. 

Now, it is one thing to excuse our presence for really important “Things” like: you have been abducted by aliens, or you have been in a car accident, or you have been attacked by a bear.  Those are good “Things” or excuses for not being present with the Lord, with our families, or with our church family.  But CR doubts that Thomas slept in because it was the only day he didn’t have to work; or that he was abducted by aliens; or that he was attacked by a bear (that really is not a “Thing” unless you live in the Alaskan wilderness). 

When it comes to our responsibility for our faith life, well, we need to consider the “Things” we are doing daily, whether they are awesome “Things” or drudgery “Things” or just “Things” that allow us to avoid the “Things” we should be doing, we need to stop making excuses and face the very real possibility that today may be our last day, and if we have not been serious about our relationship with G-d, then how serious will our relationship be with our G-d in the age to come?  “Things” can and will get a lot crazier in this life, just ask CR someday about the “Things” he sees and experiences each and every day — or any pastor who does the same “things”.  We aren’t up there preaching our hearts out just for extra-credit — that is a “Thing” that doesn’t even exist in the Kingdom of G-d.

Oh, and one other “Thing” – Thomas eventually had to have a face to face with Jesus.  Jesus said “Hey Thomas, what was that “Thing” you had to do last week?”  Thomas said, “Oh it was just a “Thing”.  Jesus said, “I see — sounds interesting.  Want to see something else interesting?  Let me show you some “Things” — like my hands and my side”.  Think about this…you and I will have a face to face with Jesus someday as well.  And No “Thing” will get us out of that…..

Crankeverend….oops I gotta go to a “Thing”!