I could make the argument that Thomas was not a doubter. This is not a good way to witness to the resurrected life in Christ! They were locked in a room filled with fear. In the gospel (Jn 20:19-31), the disciples that Thomas encountered behind closed doors were horrible witnesses to the resurrection. Sometimes Christians make the worst witnesses to the resurrection of Christ. The comments contained a little bit hate, a little bit of ignorance, and unfortunately a little bit of truth, pointing out some of the inconsistencies in Christian beliefs and behavior. They were vicious attacks on God and Christianity, written by both unbelievers and people that seemed to have it out for the church. I made the mistake of reading the most replied to. I thought it was a nice little Easter message.” Then I noticed that there were 650 comments. Bishop Barron wrote a guest editorial in the Wall Street Journal, “ Recovering the Strangeness of Easter.” Like most of Bishop Barron’s material, the article was contemporary, well-reasoned and engaging. Or I can spend some time gazing into the fog and seek the God of mystery and true peace.Christianity is under attack. I can focus on the golden glow of the sun that momentarily appears but then move on with the rest of my day. I can focus on the dark, blurry horizon, and worry about what may come. I begin to sense the silent presence of God speaking to my heart.Īs I enter the New Year, where will I direct my focus? I can focus on the trees and the visible obstacles directly in my path. When I silence my mind and gaze into the ‘fog’ long enough through prayer and meditation, I begin to make out various shapes. The mystics say that God, however, is often hidden in the fog, or as one ancient author describes, “The Cloud of Unknowing”. Through the temperature inversion, this still body of water also generates impenetrable fog. The surface of the water is deceptively still, a picture of peace. The less obvious image of God is the fog rising from the lake. As the sun rises, I have faith that its heat and light will burn away the fog and reveal a clearer path ahead, exposing to the patient heart delights to pursue and pitfalls to avoid. The image provides a focal point for my hopes and dreams as I enter a new year. It’s a beacon of hope that brings a golden glow to the surrounding landscape. The most obvious image of God is the rising sun. Having navigated through the trees upfront, what lies ahead is not so clear. On the other side of Goat Island, the hills surrounding the lake are a blur. In the foreground is Goat Island, now a mere shadow. The images in the distance are not so clear. I see them clearly and can reasonably plot a path around them. These could be the challenges immediately before me, maybe even obstacles I need to navigate around. The image provides a good metaphor for both my life and God’s presence in the upcoming year.įirst, my life. I snapped this picture of the hazy sunrise. With the unseasonably warm weather this late December, there is a lot of morning fog rising off of Lake Norman.
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