Title:- SERMON: JOHN 20:19-31.

At first glance, I would have said that Thomas was not born in Galilee, but Missouri. Missourians as they like to be called, hail from the “show me” state. So-called because in 1899, their congressman named Hillard Duncan Vandiver speaking at a convention in Philadelphia, said: “frothy eloquence neither convinces me nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me.” Missourians only believe what they see, not what they hear. However, this conundrum can have sticky ends, as Thomas found out when confronted by Jesus in a room behind locked doors. And when he saw Jesus he was humbled to the point that, he could only say “my Lord and my God”.

He didn’t even bother touching Jesus, he knew he was wrong in his denial, and from then on he was always called “doubting Thomas.” When I arrived in this country, I was amazed at people's reactions to what government officials said, they didn’t believe them but understood them to mean something else with their words. People would openly say “oh they don’t mean that, ” and go off and do something quite contrary to what the government had said. Whereas today, under the current restrictions due to the pandemic, I see quite the opposite.
I see people lining up around grocery stores, supermarkets, etc.. They even keep a social distance apart, they are polite and kind to one another, or at least, now that the toilet paper crisis has subsided.

But why?
Is it really what the politicians are saying, no it is because what the scientists are saying, even though the politicians contradict them, the public is doing what the scientists are saying.

So what happened in America?

It is because the politicians in America have turned and twisted their statements so many times that the general public of America, that is their constituents, have become a nation of doubting Thomas's. So when Dr.Acton, or Dr.Fauci, or Dr.Birx stand up and say what they know, the American public knows that these individuals are telling the truth as best they can at that time.

So unlike the state of Ohio, which was always in a proactive mode, the federal government was in a reactive mode, and to cover that up they put on promotions demonstrating how the great economic/industrial engine of America was going to jump into action and produce enormous quantities of medical equipment and supplies. Immediately. Various retail corporations were going to turn there parking lots at their stores around the country into a drive-through testing center. However, today there are less than 6 locations in the country, at these facilities, providing drive-through testing.

There is one striking point I like about this church community, the church of solid faith. At any funerals, I‘ve officiated at, the one passage of the bible that I invariably readout is John 14:6. Where Jesus said, “I am the life, the truth, and the way.” In other words, without the truth we cannot live, if we cannot live we cannot follow the way. That is why I enjoy being amongst this community because like me you seek and honor the truth.

Our federal politicians, however, are unfortunately ignoring the glaring benefit of this situation, that is, the profound reduction in pollution, crime, and other social problems. Therefore, this situation presents all the world with an opportunity to reduce/change/remove the old selfish lifestyles that produce these hideous environmental conditions and thereby mitigate the chronic effects on public health. And address the social/economic problems for our minorities, such as the African-Americans, Hispanics, and all others who live in the shadows of this so-called progress.

Furthermore, the epidemiologists say that these pandemics tend to be active for two years before a vaccine can be developed. Unfortunately, however, the COVID 19 virus has already mutated into 8 strains in the world. In other words, it is acting like HIV, which is constantly mutating and is still awaiting a vaccine. This implies that the same may be true with the COVID 19 virus. So it is reasonable to assume, this situation is going to be around for a long time, therefore, we need to develop a new lifestyle at work, home and leisure to enable us to live out our natural lives.

Can all these things be achieved?

Well, let us look at Thomas. He brushed off his lack of faith with Jesus's resurrection and went on to travel to India and established one of the earliest Christian churches, in 52 A.D., called Thomas. This church is so dynamic, that, the emigres from this church who now live in the UK and have become such a large community, that the Archbishop of Canterbury has appointed a bishop for this community.