...But Is It Love?

By Brooke Momblow

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:16,18

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7

What does love look like in the details of our lives? Most people seem to think the opposite of love is hate. God tells us in his word that the opposite of love is selfishness. Today’s culture puts such an emphasis on self-care that it can be difficult to draw an appropriate line between self-care and selfishness. Self-care might look like not hanging out with toxic people and yet in Christ we are called to love the unlovable.

If we look at the list in 1 Corinthians 13 describing love, we get some ideas of what love is, but how to apply them? Do we really grasp concepts like patience? An older forgotten word for patience is forbearance, a fruit of the Spirit. Forbearance means to refrain from something, endure, be self-controlled, but it also means to abstain from the enforcement of a right. Sometimes I do have a right to expect certain things or to be treated a certain way. Acting with forbearance most certainly feels like dying to me, like being run over. But aren’t we called to love sacrificially? To lay down our lives/selves in love?

Life lived in the Spirit, empowered by the Spirit, calls us to love like Jesus. Die to self. So besides the big things like patience and being kind, what does love look like in everyday moments? What is love in the middle of an argument? Not rude is an easy answer, but what about not self-seeking? How about that person who hasn’t spoken to you, unforgiving towards you even though you weren’t in the wrong? The temptation here would be to remember their bad behavior and to hold it against them in the future or to be proud and not try to reconcile with them.

Not easily angered. Always perseveres. Always hopes. Never quits.

But is it love? For this reason I’ve been attempting to commit to memory what love is, what it looks like. I want it to permeate my spirit, so that in the heat of the moment, in the seconds I have to react, in face to face encounters with strangers or family, ‘…but is it LOVE?’ will be my first response…my only response.

Jesus help me, let me be reminded how much you have loved me, that my love continue to grow in knowledge and depth of insight, that I would never quit practicing the giving and receiving of love. Amen

“Do not think that love in order to be genuine has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” – Mother Theresa

“Even as the angry vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them. Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more? Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him… Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me your forgiveness… And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world’s healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives along with the command, the love itself.” – Corrie ten Boom

The Beauty of the Earth

By Marilyn Travis

It occurs to me that we are greatly blessed to live where we live. I was going to write about my daily walks with Elwood, my chihuahua. I was going to describe the beauty of the pines and the scent of the wind blowing through them. I thought about describing the deep blue of the sky and the distant snow-capped mountains. Perhaps, I should describe the the songs of the birds and barking of the dogs. Then there was the happy gait of Elwood with his floppy ear bouncing and little tail up in the air as we strode down the roads of our daily journey. There is more than just this though to describe and think about.

This afternoon I watched a couple of episodes of Our National Parks and I was enthralled by the beauty and majesty of Olympic and Yosemite National Parks. I also watched a short documentary about how much beauty and history there is in forgotten places in the plains. I realized God has blessed us with so much more than the beauty of our neighborhoods and the surrounding countryside. He created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them, then placed us here. The perfect habitat!

Job 12:7-10

But ask the animals and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?

Dante said, “Nature is the art of God.”

When I am surrounded by the glory of God’s creation I want to sing! The first two verses of For the Beauty of the Earth come to mind:

For the beauty of the Earth,

For the glory of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies

Lord of all to thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the wonder of each hour

Of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale and trees and flower,

Sun and moon and stars of light.

Lord of all to thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

Another song I’ve been singing as I walk is Morning Has Broken. I invite you to listen and watch this lovely rendition by Cat Stevens https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we-n-Zmglt0.

Psalm 96:11-12 makes a beautiful prayer and meditation:

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them, let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.

Amen!

Who Is The Holy Spirit?

By Phil Wood

I am totally unqualified to write this devotional. I'm not a theologian. I have no firsthand experience of miraculous events or healings. I have possibly experienced "being led by the Holy Spirit" and have seen positive results by following those leadings, but I can't say I know beyond a shadow of doubt that it was, in fact, the Holy Spirit. I do, however, strongly suspect it!

I'm feeling led to write about the Holy Spirit right now, even though I'm unqualified, and even though the subject is way bigger than can be covered in a short devotional. Why would I even be taking on a task like this if I wasn't being driven by some undeniable force?

As I read The Acts of the Apostles, I am blown away by the activity of the Holy Spirit, especially during those weeks following the resurrection of Jesus. We're remembering those weeks right now in this period of Eastertide on the Christian calendar. And it feels right to be thinking seriously about the Holy Spirit, cultivating a greater awareness, and trying to discern what he is up to in our world today so that we may join in.

So what do we know about the Holy Spirit? How do we recognize his work in our own lives, in the lives of others, and in the world around us?

If I had to give a short answer to the question, "Who is the Holy Spirit?" I would say he is the Spirit of God, the mysterious, invisible and all-powerful hand of God working through human beings to accomplish his will in the world. He works in our hearts, at levels beyond our consciousness, to change us and make us more Christ-like. He empowers us to accomplish things we never dreamed we were capable of achieving. And sometimes he does supernatural works that are difficult to believe unless we see them with our own eyes.

I can now say I actually know someone who was an eyewitness to a miracle healing (reference Mike Banta's account in his sermon April 19). I just read an account by John Ortberg of a woman who, praying "in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ," lifted a car off her husband's chest after an accident. This story is very credible to me because the woman was the mother of Ortberg's friend – someone he knew – and the man was a well-known professor at Princeton Theological Seminary.

So the Spirit that was unleashed in the days after Christ's resurrection, empowering the disciples to perform so many miracles and signs has not disappeared. He has been at work throughout the ages, as documented by Christian writers, and is still at work today in amazing works like these, and in more personal ways that you may recognize.

In John 14:16, Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as an "advocate to help you and be with you forever." The word advocate can be thought of in a legal sense, as in one who pleads your case before a court, but also in the sense of one who comes alongside and helps. As Christians we are full of gratitude for the one who advocates on our behalf when we have sinned. And I'm willing to bet, if you try, you can think of times when help came at the moment you most desperately needed it. Likely, the Holy Spirit had something to do with that.

In John 14:17, Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as "the Spirit of truth," one who affirms what is good and pure and true and holy. Sometimes when Bruce is preaching, I see heads going up and down (including my own) and I know that's the Holy Spirit, affirming in people's minds that what he's saying is good and pure and true and holy. Maybe your head is going up and down right now. Guess who!

In John 14:25-27, Jesus says the Holy Spirit "will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." He teaches us to pray, helps us discern our spiritual gifts, guides us in their proper use. And as we pray, as we exercise our gifts, as we read and meditate on his word, something imperceptible happens. We change. Looking back, we see remarkable differences in ourselves between then and now. Praise God. Thank you, Holy Teacher.

Pressing on through John 15 and 16, we see Jesus revealing more about the Holy Spirit. The Spirit convicts, and removes the burden of judgment from us. As Billy Graham said, "It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict, God's job to judge, and my job to love."

And we see that the Spirit is our partner in testifying on Jesus' behalf. We are to testify, but the pressure to convert is off our shoulders – the results are in the Spirit's hands.

So those are some ways to identify the work of the Spirit in ourselves. What about in others? Here's a great observation from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, based on his understanding of Galatians 5:22-25. "The fruit of the Spirit is a gift of God, and only He can produce it. They who bear it know as little about it as the tree knows of its fruit. They know only the power of Him on whom their life depends."

Of course the fruits to be watching for are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These are the things the Holy Spirit is seeking to bring about in all people everywhere, in every aspect of our lives great and small.

Are we alert enough to see him at work and join in the effort?

Frederick Buechner wrote, "There is no event so commonplace but that God is present within it, always hiddenly, always leaving you room to recognize him or not...because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace."

Jean Pierre de Caussade said, "each moment is a revelation from God."

John Ortberg wrote, "The Spirit of God is available to you and me: flowing all the time, welling up within us, quenching our unsatisfied desires, overflowing to refresh those around us. He is at work all the time, in every place. And every once in a while, somebody somewhere wakes up."

Amen.

Going Deeper April 26

By Pat Russell

Considering the sermon by Bruce Spear, April 26, 2020

Text 1 Peter 1:3-9

There is more noise in the community now that people are getting going into the day. But earlier when Larry and I were listening/watching this Sunday's sermon, it was very still and quiet except for the birds making their spring songs. Following breakfast, I walked around the yard, simply enjoying the beauty, the silence, the wonder of being in this day. I thought what it must have been like for the Trinity to have enjoyed the first Sabbath Rest.

The service today and Pastor Bruce's sermon had "rest" all over it, from my view. If you want to widen your "spiritual boundaries," or "go deeper," consider meditating on the three phrases that Pastor Bruce pointed out from our Scripture passage. These are all gifts given to us!

...a living hope... (v. 3)

...you have great joy... (v. 6)

...a glorious joy that can't be put into word... (v. 8)

Read again the Scripture passage. Read it slowly, like sucking on a piece of your favorite candy. When you come to a phrase in bold type, take a "sabbath rest" and let the Holy Spirit speak to your soul. Maybe you will recall something Pastor Bruce said. Maybe one of the songs will rise up within. Maybe you will simply fall silent. Maybe you will hear a still small voice of encouragement from the Trinity. Whatever comes, know it is a gift from God to your soul's well being.

Give praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy he has given us a new birth and a living hope. This hope is living because Jesus Christ rose from the dead. He has given us a new birth so that we might share in what belongs to him. This is a gift that can never be destroyed. It can never spoil or fade away. It is kept in heaven for you. Through faith you are kept safe by God's power. Your salvation is going to be completed. It is ready to be shown to you in the last days. Because you know all this, you have great joy. You have joy even though you may have had to suffer for a little while. You may have had to suffer sadness in all kinds of trouble. Your troubles have come in order to prove that your faith is real. Your faith is worth more than gold. That's because gold can pass away even when fire has made it pure. Your faith is meant to bring praise, honor and glory to God. This will happen when Jesus Christ returns. Even though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not see him now, you believe in him. You are filled with a glorious joy that can't be put into words. You are receiving the salvation of your souls. This salvation is the final result of your faith.

When you have finished, offer a prayer of restoration and rest to our Lord with a peaceful sigh of thanksgiving and amen.

Blessings THIS day, P@

If you would like to connect with me about "Going Deeper" or about living in these days, feel free to email me at patannruss@gmail.com

Hidden in Christ

By Marilyn McGrath

Scripture: Luke 2:41-43, 49-52

⁴¹ Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. ⁴² When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. ⁴³ After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it.

⁴⁹ “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” ⁵⁰ But they did not understand what he was saying to them. ⁵¹ Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. ⁵² And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Most of Jesus’ life is unknown to us, but do we really think that it was unimportant? That nothing was happening? Alicia Britt Chloe has this to say about the life of Jesus:

"Only three years, less than 10 percent, of Jesus’ days are visible through the writings of the Bible. Over 90 percent of his earthly life is submerged in the unseen...Onlookers saw only the tip of the iceberg of who Jesus truly was, and they could have never imagined the indestructible greatness growing just beneath the surface of Jesus’ unapplauded life.

“'What would Jesus do?' we ask sincerely...Well, for starters, he embraced a life of hiddenness...With his life (and with ours), it is critical that we not mistake unseen for unimportant...From God’s perspective, anonymous seasons are sacred spaces. They are quite literally formative, to be rested in, not rushed through--and most definitely not to be regretted...Hidden years are the surprising birthplace of true spiritual greatness."

Peter Scazzero writes:

The pattern of Jesus’ life is meant to be a model for us. We too are to make disciples, carry our cross, and access resurrection power. Our anonymous, unseen seasons are sacred and not to be rushed. Just as he did in Jesus, God is birthing true spiritual greatness in us during our times and places of hiddenness.

So, I ask myself, what important but unseen work might God be doing in, through, and in spite of any hiddenness I am experiencing right now?

Father, sometimes I act as though I am in charge of running the world. Forgive me. Teach me to be patient and to remain hidden when appropriate. May I not rush your slow, sacred work of forming Christ in me--even when I don’t understand what you are doing. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Dichotomy

By Pat Russell

This might be a long one, so grab a cup of coffee and a comfortable chair for the duration. I think I will title this “Dichotomy.”

Wednesday, I woke up with an overwhelming sense of peace. This is what I wrote in my journal:

“Within my soul I have a deep peace this morning. Hearing how the birds are singing more loudly than ever all over the world because of less noise pollution brought a deep peace to me. Knowing air pollution has decreased in these days makes my soul even more peaceful.

“These are not empty lost days for me. They are full of bounty. I read this in the Celtic Prayer Book, ‘O that you would bless me and enlarge my borders.’ (1 Chronicles 4:10). Chris Ainsley then wrote, ‘It took enforced exile to bring this word about realigning our spiritual geography so to speak. When your borders are enlarged, so are your horizons.’ I cannot believe the peace that is everywhere I look in my soul. It is as if I woke up in a very holy place… Something beautiful is happening all over the world in the midst of the suffering. I don’t want to minimize the worst for people, but over top and wrapping the world, You are finding a way to bless us.”

Later Wednesday morning I spoke with a friend in India. She lives in a small apartment with her husband, her young daughter, her two adult daughters, and her mother-in-law. She is heading up all the household duties which she does not enjoy, as well as leading Zoom Bible studies and watching over groups in her church. They are “at home” like we are. I have been to her home and I am sure people are sleeping everywhere. It is their hot, dry season and the fan was whirring while we talked. She told me how migrant workers are stuck in place and cannot work. They are hungry and sick, and the church is trying to minister to them in this crisis.

Wednesday evening we watched the news as usual. The reports came in from the world and our country – deaths totaling almost 200,000, starvation in Yemen, locus plague in Kenya, secrets in China, dead bodies being wheeled out from nursing homes all over America and the rest of the world.

In my dreams last night (Thursday) I saw a very busy, busy factory surrounding me with many people working as hard as they could to make things happen. Somewhere in the night I started thinking, “What if this goes on and on? What if there are food shortages here? What if my brother-in-law on dialysis gets the virus? What can I do to help? What can I do to help? Sell my home and give the money to those on the front lines? I sit in this ivory tower of peace and beauty while the world is suffering beyond any of my experience.”

And then, and then, I received this text from Denise Wanzeck. This is her granddaughter, Gracie Lynn.

https://youtu.be/iikwzbteKDg

I cried. So simple, so pure. In the midst of her day’s “routine” this was her prayer. It is now my prayer, “Dear Jesus, my dear Jesus, bless my day, bless my day. How may we be like you? How may we be like you? Whisper prayer.”  I thought of these words from Isaiah 11.

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,

The leopard shall lie down with the young goat,

The calf and the young lion and fatling together;

And a little child shall lead them.”

The Throne Room

By Brooke Momblow

Isaiah 61:10 “I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness.”

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Sometimes I hesitate to enter the Presence of God through prayer. I feel as though I haven’t measured up enough or repented enough of my missteps to come boldly before the Throne of Grace. In fact, there are days I slink into the Throne Room, if I dare at all to enter. Some days I rely on the Holy Spirit to guide my thoughts and words and actions, I respond with gentleness instead of anger, with kindness instead of impatience, and this leaves me feeling more comfortable about coming to talk with God. Other days I can forget or willfully refuse to lean on the Spirit to remind me to think about and act on the words of scripture. Which leads to behaviors and attitudes that cause me to slink. Jerry Bridges, in The Discipline of Grace, refers to this as the Good Day/Bad Day Syndrome. Seems like I’ve had several of these “bad days” recently.

During a set aside time to pray and read the Bible I was hesitating to enter into prayer. I had just spent time repenting and asking forgiveness of God, already having asked forgiveness from the parties involved in one of these “bad day” scenarios, but I still felt unworthy to come to God. Maybe I needed to run out and do an act of kindness for someone and then come back to prayer or perhaps grovel a little more, give myself another mental tongue lashing to be sure it stuck, and repeat again to God how sorry I am… These feelings surprised me. Was I attempting to earn grace? We have just finished celebrating Easter and still my old self dares to rise up and attempt to redeem itself? Shouldn’t the work of the cross send me running to the feet of Jesus on my bad days rather than hiding? These thoughts led me to contemplate what God’s word says about the redemptive work Jesus has done for us. Jesus’ blood that becomes for us a robe of righteousness allows us to enter into His presence.

So, I decided to begin my prayer time with the practice of picturing myself in scripture. Revelation chapters 4 & 5 have an amazing description of the throne room of God. Through my mind’s eye I pictured myself putting on a brilliant white robe that seemed to glow. Nervously I tried to smooth a non-existent wrinkle with my hand. The robe is necessary to enter the King’s presence. Jesus had given the robe to me as a gift because I didn’t have one of my own, but I had received an invitation to come meet with the King. Following the description in Revelation I could picture the Awesomeness of the place I was entering. The vision of flashes of lightening, rainbows of color around the throne, thinking I could hear the peals of thunder and smell the sweet smell of incense. It turns out, that sweet smell of incense is actually the prayers of God’s people. Creatures in front of the throne cover their faces and feet as they speak words that rush through my chest and leave me breathless as the truth of them meet my consciousness “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” There are 24 other thrones around The Throne and the Elders sitting on them fall to their faces to worship every time the creatures speak. They lay their crowns at His feet. Spontaneously I fall to my face with them. On my knees with my arms stretched out in front of me, I wonder if my legs would even hold me if I wanted to stand.

The Elders say, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Then I see a Lamb, looking as though he’d been slain, standing in the center of the throne and suddenly there are thousands of angel voices, together with the creatures and the Elders, and they sing “Worthy is the Lamb, who is slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” The Awesomeness of the moment overwhelms me. My heart shouts, “Worthy is the Lamb who is slain!” and I am so full of love and gratitude for the Lamb. I marvel that I’ve been invited into this Holy of Holies, that I’m wanted here and expected to come since receiving my invitation. How could I possibly be welcome in this place? In my mind I look again at my white robe, still without spot or blemish, slowly I stand to my feet. I lift my eyes to gaze on his beauty, this is where my help comes from.

Shifting from the passage I had been reading I moved into grateful praise and awed adoration of my God. Thanking him for the privilege of being able to come before him and talk with him in prayer. Giving thanks for his mercy and for his faithful grace to help me.

To Ponder:

-Do you struggle with good day/bad day syndrome?

-Does the idea of coming boldly to receive mercy or grace to help, change the way you approach God on bad days?

-My picture of the robe of righteousness I’m wearing humbles my idea of “good days,” and I realize it is only through the Spirit’s help that any good comes from the things I attempt. How does this idea change the way we approach God on our good days?

A Prayer for Us:

“We continually ask God to fill us with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that we may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that we may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.” In Jesus name we ask, so be it.

                                        Colossians 1:9-12 NIV (paraphrased)

Patience

By Marilyn Travis

I’ve had parents of my students tell me I am a remarkably patient person. Members of my immediate family claim I have the patience of a gnat. Both statements are true. I have a great deal of patience for other people’s children, and for people in general (just not always my husband and children, but I’m learning). It all depends on the circumstances. I have absolutely no patience at all for inanimate objects that don’t do what I want them to do when I want it done. Technology and I do not generally get along. It gets ugly pretty quick! I am also not very patient when I am required to sit still or be quiet for any length of time. I thrive in social settings and love casual conversation. While spending time with friends on Zoom is enjoyable, talking to a group of live busts (as in sculptures with no bodies) just isn’t the same as being present in the same space. This time of isolation under a stay-at-home order is wearing thin. I admit, I’m running short of patience.

The dictionary says patience is the capacity to tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. I have no problem with this so long as the wait is brief!

Clearly, I do not have a handle on patience. Fortunately, God does.

Joyce Meyer says, “I believe that a trusting attitude and a patient attitude go hand in hand. You see, when you let go and learn to trust God, you’re able to be more patient. Patience is not just about waiting for something… it’s how you wait, or your attitude about waiting.”

Colossians 3:12, 15

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience… Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…”

In other words, as Joyce Meyer states, “let go and learn to trust God.”

None of us know when we will be free to gather in large groups or return to activities and work. Then again, none of us know when Christ will return either, yet we trust God’s word and look forward to our lives with Him. So maybe this uncertain time is a good time to practice trust and patience.

Galatians 5:22-25

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

I’m going to work on being patient and trusting the Lord in this time of uncertainty. I want to live more in step with the Spirit. I’m not sure I’ll be able to tackle my impatience with technology at this time, but who knows? Our God is a God of miracles!

"My Lord and My God!"

By Phil Wood

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"

But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

                                                                                    John 20:24-29

As we live into Eastertide, and track with what happened after Jesus rose from the grave, we see that this is the time, about a week after Jesus first came to the disciples, when Thomas came to grips with the amazing, unbelievable thing that had happened – and the stunning realization of who it was he had been following the past three years.

I would like to challenge you this morning to spend some time contemplating the painting below by Caravaggio, a 16th century Italian painter. Seriously, find a quiet place to sit, where you will not be distracted, and simply gaze at this painting for several minutes.

Let your eyes wander over the scene as a whole, just taking in the situation. What exactly is happening, who is doing what?

Let your eyes come to rest on the face of Jesus. What do you see there?

Bring your eyes to rest on the face of Thomas and imagine yourself in his place at the time when this was really happening. What are you feeling as Jesus takes your hand and guides it toward the hole in his side? What is your reaction at that moment when the truth rushes in?

"My Lord and my God!"

Dwell in that moment, let that truth wash over you, and let the Holy Spirit guide your thoughts...

Caravaggio was a master of chiaroscuro, the use of light and shadow to achieve a sense of volume in modeling three-dimensional figures in a two-dimensional work. In this work entitled, "The Incredulity of Saint Thomas," the artist uses a dark background to make these figures, modeled by light and shadow, stand out.

But that dark background has another purpose. It abstracts the scene from its setting, freeing it from a specific time or place to show that this encounter of faith is not tied to a historic moment but to an eternal truth – one that affects us all even 2000 years after the fact.

Br Andres Colmenares, LC, in a Legionary Brothers blog, points out, "We have all gone through one stage of our life or another when living our Christian faith was more difficult than normal. Something happens that makes us put into question the very beliefs that were inscribed in our hearts. But Christ's constant yearning is for us to 'Believe and doubt no longer.'"

Perhaps you're going through a time like that right now. But let not your heart be troubled. As Br Andres suggests, you can go to Jesus now, let him take your hand and direct it toward his wound, so that all doubts might be dispelled and you can say from your heart, "My Lord and my God."

"Art can warm even a chilled and sunless soul to an exalted spiritual experience. Through art we occasionally receive – indistinctly, briefly – revelations the likes of which cannot be achieved by rational thought.

"It is like the small mirror of legend: you look into it but instead of yourself you glimpse for a moment the Inaccessible, a realm forever beyond reach. And your soul begins to ache..."

                                                                        Alexander Solzhenitsyn