Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
This Sunday was my last at my outstation posting, and I have made a few wonderful friends from various countries. An Ethiopian pediatric hemato-oncologist is one of them. He asked to tag along to church with me, and we both participated in the Sunday morning English mass.
He sat patiently listening to the entire service and offered some money for the donation and was so happy as he stepped out. He is an Orthodox Christian and explained the Ethiopian traditions and church events.
As neither of us has seen Jesus like Thomas, we walked in faith into the church and prayed fervently for our personal needs. His wife is pregnant and due to deliver next month while he is across continents studying and learning here in India. It is faith and love of Christ that brought him with me to church, and he is contemplating return to the church (Orthodox).
It is very hard for us as surgeons to believe something we do not see in surgery, but often we are astounded at how cancer responds and spreads. We are taken aback by the changes in our plans and how we hope for better time we open a human body.
Faith is an integral part of our lives, and we need to surrender to the higher power. Like the apostles, we need to believe in what we preach and practice it every day! very hard, but we can be persistent!
Lord, as I stand with faith in you for the week to come and all the stressors I anticipate, I know you are there beside me, watching over me, ensuring I will pull through as per your plan! Guide me to have faith in you.
AMEN
