The Road to Emmaus: Episode 6 - Easter and the Mystery of Touch

Warm greetings to all of you on this second Sunday of Easter.  Today, Jonah and Patrick take up something, in the time of the world pandemic, that is appearing in a whole new light and magnitude: the mystery of touch.

The Gospel reading for today describes the first appearance to the disciples and to Thomas (see below) and great attention is drawn to the wounds of the Risen One and Thomas' longing to touch them.  We bring this into relation to the whole culmination of the communion service in The Christian Community where the priest gives the touch of peace.  How does this come to new light in a time when we are not supposed to be touching one another?

This, and the whole question of religion and spirituality in the digital world, is some of what we touch on in this conversation.

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Gospel Reading: Jesus Appears to the Twelve Disciples and Thomas

John 19:19-29 (NIV)

19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”27 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.”

28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

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Thanks to Elliott Chamberlin who composed our theme music, “Seeking Together,” and the legacy of our original show-notes and patreon producer, Camilla Lake.