by Lory Widmer Hess

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. John 20:24-25

To a room full of fear
No one can come near –

So crowded with grief
And disbelief

All doors locked tight
Against the night.

Yet He stood in their midst
And spoke of peace,

Awakening them
From their fearful dream.

One failed to see –
The skeptic, he.

Their message of love
Was not enough.

He had to feel
Before he’d heal.

And so we suffer
Instead of offer.

Imprisoned by doubt
We cannot come out.

Our self-willed pain
Shall still remain

Until we leave
Our unbelief

Behind and say
“My Lord, I see.”

Lory Widmer Hess is an American currently living with her family in Switzerland. She has worked for the past ten years with adults with developmental disabilities, from whom she has learned her greatest life lessons, and is in training as spiritual director. Her writing has been published in Parabola, Red Letter Christians, Kosmos Quarterly, Christian Community Perspectives, and other print and online publications. She blogs at enterenchanted.com and can be found on Mastodon at @lorywidmerhess@bookstodon.com.