John 20: 25: “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my head into his side, I will not believe.”
Commentary:
The need to see to believe expressed by Thomas is not necessarily a bad attitude for the addict. Speaking from my own experience in sobriety and recovery, many people would always tell me you have to pray and believe in Christ, but it never worked. I discovered through 12 Step work, in order for me to come to believe in the power of God to restore me to sanity I needed to see how my negative, unhealthy attitudes about God were blocking my ability to believe in God, and blocking God’s grace to restore my life. One thing that helped my prayer life become more effective, and my belief in God to become more internalized, with less focus on seeing to believe, was to learn more about the negative, unhealthy messages I received growing up about God. I had many good spiritual guides that helped me disown those unhealthy messages of God’s hatred for me, and help me come to believe the truth of God’s love for me taught in scripture.
Saint Joseph Men of Integrity Group 