Visionary Faith

Thomas...one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord.' But he said to them, 'Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.' A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.' Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.' Thomas answered him, 'My Lord and my God!' Jesus said to him, 'Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.'" [John 20:24-28, NRSV]

If we look at the story of Thomas metaphorically, a powerful message emerges: It's easy to have faith in something when it's standing right in front of our faces. It's a lot harder to have faith in a future that has yet to be seen.

Visionary faith is a powerful thing. It is the kind of faith that moved Martin Luther to begin the Protestant Reformation. It is the kind of faith that empowered Ghandi to start a revolution in India. It is the kind of faith that inspired Martin Luther King Jr to proclaim "I have a dream." It is the kind of faith that many LGBT people and their straight allies possess as they envision a future that looks much different from the world we live in now.

It is easy to believe in LGBT equality when we see it happening right in front of our faces. It's a lot harder to work toward an unseen future where full equality is achieved for all. If we are going to continue the fight. If we are going to have enough spiritual energy to outlast the setbacks and disappointments that will occur along the way, then we must have the kind of faith that believes in a future that has yet to be realized.

Truly we are blessed if we "have not seen and yet have come to believe." It is the power to change the world as we know it.