Embodied Believing

Reading this passage, I often wonder whether Thomas’ entire identity as a disciple is unfairly boiled down to the name “doubting Thomas.” Thomas is largely a background character throughout the Gospel of John, but he does a fair amount to drive the narrative forward. Take the story of Lazarus, for example, when Jesus says, “Let us go to Jerusalem.” Thomas says, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16). What this brings to my mind as a theologian with a disability is how often disabled people feel the pressure and weight of being “othered” concerning things we consider important in the areas of faith and social justice. In activist and church spaces focused on righting the wrongs of the world, we often hear a long list of issues such as racial justice, environmental justice, and queer justice, followed by the phrase “and persons with disabilities.” People with disabilities have been central to faith and justice throughout history.

Looking at Thomas in John 11, biblical scholars point out that the phrase or verb used to indicate “let us go” in this text indicates leadership. [1] Thomas is driving the story forward from the background. In many ways, this phrase, “Let us also go, that we may die with him,” triggers everything that follows in the Gospel of John. Further, Thomas’ doubt is echoed by the majority of the other disciples! Why aren’t any of the folks who doubted Mary’s Resurrection encounter called “doubting” disciples? Because history has labeled Thomas, we have continued to call him “doubting Thomas.”

When I reflect on this, bringing my disabled experience to bear, I wonder how often we dismiss disabled folks in our churches or community groups who bring a different perspective. I am reminded of an anecdote told by Black disability activist Imani Barbarin, who says— regarding people with disabilities participating in justice movements: “It is really hard to care about the environment on a daily basis when you are broke and tired all the time."[2] She talks about being in a restaurant and being criticized by an activist acquaintance for not using paper straws. She explained that people with disabilities often find paper straws challenging to use. I hear echoes of Thomas bearing disproportionate weight for his choices, questions, and experience. This can be turned into a constructive invitation by celebrating different perspectives, lived experiences, and even doubts within our faith communities. After all, as the Revelation reading indicates, all types of people, all abilities, all bodies, and all beings will come together to “see” and “mourn for” Christ when he returns to bring liberation and resurrection to Creation (Rev. 1:7).

Examining Thomas’s encounter with the risen Christ brings us to one of the most compelling embodiment and disability angles in the Gospel of John—Thomas’s request to touch Jesus’ wounds (John 20:25).[3] Scholars note this is not a subtle request to put his fingers in Jesus’ wounds gently. Thomas’s language indicates that he is talking about a sharp poke. This is interesting because people with disabilities often do not come from the perspective of having full control over how their bodies are viewed and used within the larger society. We are often kept at a distance from “normal bodies” because we force society to witness the potential for vulnerability through our bodies. Or our bodies are fields for medical and clinical discourse, which is often dehumanizing. Contrast this with what Thomas asked. Thomas positions Jesus’ bodily vulnerability—his literal wounds—as a pathway for Thomas to understand his faith. Not only is he doing this, but he is also making the request in language that indicates extreme intimacy. He invites readers to examine their relationships with their bodies and the world they inhabit.

• [1] Johnson Thomaskutty, “Characterization of Thomas in the Fourth Gospel,” HTS Teologiese Studies/ Theological Studies 76(1), a5632, https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v76i1.5632.
• [2] "What is Ableism? A Conversation with Imani Barbarin, Dr. Kara Ayers, and Mia Ives-Rublee,” YouTube, https://youtu.be/GU0qGZaLQmI?feature=shared
• [3] Johnson Thomaskutty, “Characterization of Thomas in the Fourth Gospel,” HTS Teologiese Studies/ Theological Studies 76(1), a5632, https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v76i1.5632.

Sermon Illustrations/Call to Action

(Note: Please confirm all appropriate copyright and licensing information, and provide necessary attribution before using these images in your worship setting.)

1. An untold story of a disability rights protest cemented the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement. To illustrate Thomas leading the narrative even though he is often thought of as a background character, consider the story of the 1977 “504 Sit-In” in San Francisco's City Hall. Disabled activists occupied City Hall for more than a month until the federal government enforced equal rights legislation. (See “Disability History, The 1977 504 Sit-In,” https://disabilityrightsflorida.org/blog/entry/504-sit-in-history#:~:text=The%20History%20of%20the%20504,%22504%20Sit%2Din%22.)

I never learned this history in school, yet it played a profound role in bringing together various civil rights groups in support of these protesters. In many ways, that protest carried forward and cemented the legacy of the larger Civil Rights Movement.

2. Mycorrhizal fungi networks allow trees to communicate strength and vulnerability to one another.
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/root-tree-root-tree-nature-276636/ (no license or attribution needed).

Ecologist Suzanne Simard (Finding the Mother Tree, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2021) writes about the interconnection between trees facilitated through an underground network of mycorrhizal fungi that grow on their roots. These fungi allow trees to share resources with and care for the more vulnerable ones.

We should compare the other disciples’ reactions to Jesus’ resurrection with Thomas’ reaction to show an alternative response rather than isolating Thomas. To illustrate, we could explain that certain trees, when threatened, send signals through their roots to the other trees in the system, warning them to defend themselves. What if we, like trees, were innately bound to one another to sense vulnerability and strength, and what if we were as quick to share resources and support when one of us was in need? Nature does this more easily than humans often do, almost as if God wants to indicate to us that connection and support are implicit in the creaturely experience. Suppose Thomas’s request to touch Jesus’ wounds indicated a need he had to understand and experience the Resurrection in an embodied way. How might we look out for those in our faith communities seeking honest and authentic experiences to affirm and strengthen their faith?

Rev. Justin Hancock, co-founder of The Julian Way, is a graduate of Perkins School of Theology with a master’s degree in Christian ministry. He is an ordained Deacon in the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. Justin’s first book, The Julian Way: A Theology of Fullness for All of God’s People, was published in 2018. It explores the experience of disability in the United States and the history of Christian theology.