But Thomas, sometimes called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We saw the Master.”

But he said, “Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won’t believe it.”

Eight days later, his disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.”

Then he focused his attention on Thomas. “Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don’t be unbelieving. Believe.”

Thomas said, “My Master! My God!”

Jesus said, “So, you believe because you’ve seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing.”

John 20: 24–29 The Message (MSG)

There was a Facebook meme going around a short while back:

Of course, arrested does not mean convicted, nor does conviction mean anything approaching “fair” sentencing. And the reality remains that if all that happened and Gregory and Travis McMichael spent the rest of their lives in prison, it would still be the exception rather than the rule.

This of course has to do with the lynching of #AhmaudArbery, and I get why people were sharing it. We want to believe that when the truth is told, that “Justice” will be done. That simply showing the truth of the matter will be enough to change hearts and minds and affect the outcome of whatever happens next.

I’m not going to share links to the videos of other modern-day lynchings, because chances are you’ve already seen them. Or at the very least you know how to find them… look up the names. #TamirRice… #EricGarner … #PhilandoCastille… #AltonSterling… #WalterScott…

Those are just a few of the ones that we HAVE video evidence for… most are just short news pieces after the fact, evaporating into forgotten history from the heat of the 24-hours news cycle… countless others will never be known beyond the families and friends of those taken. And even given the fact that Walter Scott’s murderer was eventually arrested and convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison, “justice” done once does not make “justice” done always. And the “belief” of a tape in one instance does not exonerate us from our “disbelief” every other time.

In a way, (White) America does not even believe the truth when it is literally sitting in front of them, asking us to put our fingers into the wounds which we had some part in making.

Instead, we say there are no wounds.

Or that such wounds were justified.

Or we cry out, #AllWoundsMatter.

Or we say that didn’t make those wounds, so it is not our responsibility.

I honestly believe now that I could put the same video of the same lynching of a Black person on repeat for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on every news channel and every website and every social media feed, so that NO non-Black person could NOT ignore it and I am fairly certain that all too many would find a way to turn it off, far more than I am comfortable admitting would find a perverse pleasure in watching, and most would probably acknowledge it as a tragedy and go on about their day.

I know this because I’ve done it too...

Seeing is NOT always believing.

We can see the truth over and over and over again, and still not acknowledge it AS truth.

And trying to convince White People of the Truth is never going to succeed, because so much is invested in NOT seeing it. White Americans will always have doubt when it comes to their own complicity in White Supremacy. That’s unfortunate… but also unavoidable, because everything that makes it work relies on them refusing to believe it exists, and violently lashing out when we are forced to see it. Even those who do see it and acknowledge it as truth probably have doubts.

But I do not believe that doubt is the opposite of faith.

Faith is moving towards truth with doubt as a constant companion on the journey.

Faith is an active CHOICE.

Chances are, a part of Thomas probably still doubted that his friend had risen from the dead, even after his hands probed the wounds. Just as there will always be some measure of doubt when one makes an active choice to believe anyway. Doubt about the truth… that White Supremacy is real and ongoing, that #AhmaudArbery was lynched, that all lives CANNOT matter until #BlackLivesMatter.

One of my favorite stories in the Gospel is that of the man whose son was ill and wanted Jesus to save him, if he can. When Jesus calls him on his lack of faith, the man cries out in probably the simplest but most profound ways one can.

“I believe! Help my unbelief!”

Blessed are those that keep choosing to believe, even though so much, including ourselves, wants us to choose otherwise.

Amen…