Not an Opium

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” John 20: 27- 28

For those who think that the Christian faith is mere spirituality that doesn’t touch the realities of our daily grind, this verse is a dare. A dare for you to experience God with your senses. A dare for you to find truth in the natural world.

Christianity is not the sentimental feeling you get when you walk inside a church building with high ceilings and cold pews. It’s not the emotional rush you get when you watch a breath-taking sunset or when you look at the innocence of a newborn baby. It is not an opium to sedate you through life.

Christianity is real stuff in a real world. It collides with fear and hatred. It clashes with immorality and shame. It destroys anger and teaches grace to forgive a wayward son, a convicted criminal, or a town prostitute.

Psalms 34: 8 encourages us to “taste and see that the Lord is good…” David was not just being poetic. He was describing the fact that God is indeed good and his goodness is felt in our lived experiences.