Told Thomas

So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.”

 - From John 20

One of my early career projects was to support a young professional in music, whose mission was to launch a local community choir.

She first recruited one of her colleagues, to co-direct the project with her. He accepted eagerly, and the program could count on the commitment of its first two, most important recruits 

Being the first year, only about fifteen people signed up for the choir. But that's okay. It was understood that the results in the first year would be humble. 

By and by, four people quit. It was too hard. They didn't like the song selection. Things kept "coming up." This placed great pressure on the morale of the embryonic group and its leaders. But no worries . . . four others were recruited, at mid-season, to fill the gap. 

Along the say, the second director had a few conflicts. These could not be avoided and were known in advance. Nevertheless, there is always a risk to the well-being of a team whose number is small, any time a leader is absent (let alone one of the other members). But still, no problem. The team managed. A core of highly committed members, about a half dozen, had emerged during the season, to be rock-hard reliable. 

The final appearance of the choir, in that first season, was a collaborative effort with the well-established community orchestra, which invited them to participate in a piece in their next concert, which had an optional choral part. This would be the big plug that could really launch the program. The available members for this opportunity was down to about ten. Numbers were essential and it was all hands on deck. 

But now . . . of all times . . . the second director called, at the last minute, with "something came up," and baled.  This could have derailed the group, except that the lead director was able to communicate it appropriately, and by now the other members were all-in, anyway. 

So now . . . the point. Let us speculate a little. 

When Thomas missed that early appearance of the Lord to all of the other Apostles, were the others resentful? Did they murmur among themselves? "This was the biggest moment ever, and Thomas missed it!"

Where was he, anyway? Was there a death in the family? (Irony intended). Did he have to attend his daughter's graduation? Did he have to make a delivery of fish? Was his father sick? Was he tired? Was he scared? Did he get tied up in traffic? Did he just not feel like it?

It's demoralizing when people don't show up. There were only eleven Apostles left, and they really needed to hang together. But Thomas missed it. 

We don't know what happened, or why. We don't know what the others thought about Thomas's absence. But what we do know, is that they went and told him what had happened. Their response to all of it, was such that Thomas was open to what they had to say. There was no resentment or spite, that might have pushed him away. 

They told Thomas. 

Go out and get the missing people. Go tell them. 

But at the same time . . . don't be a Thomas. Show up.