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But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." (vv. 24-29)

Three accountants and three engineers were traveling by train to a conference. The accountants bought three tickets, but the engineers only bought one claiming it was all they needed. The accountants doubted the three engineers could travel on one ticket. But one engineer told them, "Watch and you'll see."

They all boarded the train. The accountants took their seats, but the three engineers crammed into a restroom and closed the door behind them. The train departed the station and soon the conductor came through the car asking for tickets. He knocked on the restroom door and said, "Ticket, please." The door opened a crack and a single arm emerged with a ticket in hand. The conductor took it and moved on.

The accountants thought this was a clever idea. After the conference, they decided to do the same thing and buy only one ticket. But to their amazement, the engineers bought no ticket at all! Again, the accountants doubted the engineers and their plan to travel without a ticket. To which the engineers replied, "Watch and you'll see."

When they boarded the train, the accountants crammed into a restroom with their ticket while the three engineers did the same in a nearby restroom. After the train departed the station, one of the engineers left the restroom and walked over to the restroom where the accountants were hiding. He knocked on the door and said, "Ticket, please."

I doubt if the accountants doubted the engineers anymore. But then again, I doubt if we humans can live without doubt in our lives. We hear something that sounds too good to be true, and we want to believe, but something holds us back.

In today's scripture from John, Thomas hears the good news that the other disciples have seen the risen Jesus and he wants to believe, but it simply sounds too good to be true and Thomas asks for proof. For this Thomas has been known throughout history as "Doubting Thomas."

Why has the Christian community developed such a negative attitude toward doubt? We have been taught to believe that doubt is bad because it is the opposite of faith. And this story of Thomas is often used to reinforce that lesson. We, as the church, often dismiss questions and doubts as the products of an immature faith.

What do you do when you struggle with unresolved faith questions? Sometimes we simply repeat the same pat religious answers that we have found unsatisfying before. Sometimes because we feel we have some of the answers, we act as though we have all of the answers. The three least used words in our religious vocabulary are, "I don't know." Doubt isn't the real enemy of faith -- unbelief is. And what's more, doubt can play a constructive and positive role in faith.

In his book, Wishful Thinking, Frederick Buechner describes doubts this way, "Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving."

We can better respond to questions and doubts by using them as teaching moments. John Wesley was the founder of Methodism. But when he was first ordained as an Anglican priest, he came to America on a mission journey and discovered he was more of a lost soul than a minister. He soon after had his experience at Aldersgate of which he described in his journal that his heart was "strangely warmed."

Most of the time the story ends at Aldersgate as if he lived "happily ever after." But less than a year later Wesley wrote in his journal, "I know that I am not a Christian. I know it because I do not feel that I love God and His Son Jesus Christ as my Savior." Even great men of God have doubts. What we do with those doubts will dictate whether or not our faith is strengthened or weakened.

And here is where the example of Thomas can help us. We can learn from Thomas that even though we don't know where our journey may lead, it is enough that God is with us. And when we ask for proof, it is good to know that God does not meet our doubts with chastisement, but with grace. So we, too, meet others not as God's scorekeepers for wrongs done but as grace-givers with God's forgiveness.