Saint Thomas is portrayed as the figure of the doubting man, the sceptic.
But what if we were to highlight the fact that he is an authentic man? He is on a journey; he dares to express his need for tangible proof.
His name is Didymus (= the twin)— how wonderful that he felt the need to break free from mere conformity! He is no blind follower, he takes care to make faith his own, culminating in one of the most beautiful declarations in the Bible: “My Lord and my God!” Blessed unbelief that led to such a personal encounter between the Risen Christ and this particular disciple, culminating in a mature and responsible profession of faith!
What if Saint Thomas were presented as the modern-day figure of the man who was not baptised as a baby but asks for baptism after a meaningful, intentional journey in truth?
Image: Rembrandt, The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, 1634.
I really hesitated to let my inner Ouistiti (a mischievous monkey) pollute this Rembrandt masterpiece with puns (check = verify AND commune in youth slang, fist bump / cool attitude!). Sorry for this trendy, youth-oriented twist…