4 Minute Read
4 Minute Read
Doubting Thomas Plays a Mean Guitar
Taylor Swift’s dating life is an oft-discussed topic bantered about in the tabloids, message boards, and Super Bowl Jumbotrons—but with Travis, it’s a whole new ball game. With the exposure, I admit, I rooted for the last guy. No, the short tryst with the John Healey guy doesn’t count. I’m talking about what some now call a B-List actor? Poor Joe Alwyn. But did he have it that bad? I mean, he’s been in more than a few movies. More than I can claim. And he’s a piano player with multiple writing credits across Folklore, Evermore, and Midnights.
If I were to rank Taylor’s boyfriends based on album contributions, Joe’s my guy. Let’s face it, he reminds me of a Tortured Poet. Travis? Well, he has his work cut out for him. We’ll see what he brings to the table. Call me skeptical.1
With Taylor, she writes autobiographically, and relationships bleed into the work. “All Too Well?” That’s Jake Gyllenhaal. He’ll forever be known for the red scarf. “Dear John?” Well, there’s that Mayer guy.
As for albums, I’m a fan of “Speak Now.” It’s timeless, and the newly added song “When Emma Falls in Love,” featured on the expanded Taylor’s Version, is nothing short of great. The Swifty wedding anthem, to me, will always be “Lover.” But if you choose Emma, I’ll understand. I may not agree. But I’ll understand.
If you’re a careful reader, I’m sure you caught the reference. It’s from an old Chris Rock show. And since he was slapped on stage by Will Smith in the notorious 2022 Oscars—not metaphorically but in reality—it’s hard not to think of him as simply the guy who was smacked on stage.
Yes, certain moments define our lives in the eyes of others. Stigmas are cast, people are branded with monikers, even more so in our odd political landscape. It’s a human shortcut our brains take—our minds fill in the blanks because we’re storytellers. This phenomenon is not unique to our era or to pop culture; it extends back through history.
Reexamining the Apostle Thomas
Better known as “Doubting Thomas,” his story is recounted in John 20:24-29. From the Net Bible, Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus appeared after his resurrection. The other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “Unless I see the wounds from the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the wounds from the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe it!”2
Eight days later the disciples were again together in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and examine by hands. Extend your hand and put it into my side. Do not continue in your unbelief, but believe.”
Thomas replied to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are the people who have not seen and yet have believed.”
This story shows the importance of faith and belief, even without physical evidence, at the heart of Christian faith.
Yet, did history judge Thomas too harshly?
The Apostle’s last mention in scripture is one chapter later. Subsequent accounts of his life lack specificity. And why wouldn’t they be? These pivotal events took place nearly two millennia ago. In our modern age, we sometimes forget the profound meaning of sacrifice.
Emperor Nero and the Persecution of Early Christians
During the Roman Empire, under Nero’s reign, early Christians didn’t have an easy go—a grave understatement. You see, the stakes were unimaginably high. Here is how a few of the Apostles died as martyrs while spreading the Gospel:
- Tradition holds that Peter was martyred in Rome between 64-68 AD. He was crucified upside down at his own request, feeling unworthy to die in the same manner as Jesus.
- The New Testament (Acts 12:1-2) records that James was executed by sword in Jerusalem on the order of King Herod Agrippa I, around 44 AD. He is considered the first Apostle to be martyred.
- Paul, not one of the original twelve but often called an Apostle because of his crucial role in spreading the Gospel, is believed to have been beheaded in Rome around 67 AD.
- Tradition holds Andrew was crucified on an X-shaped cross in Patras, Greece. He was bound, not nailed, to the cross, on which he continued to preach to his tormentors for two days before dying.
The fates of the other disciples are less clear, but accounts suggest they also died horrible deaths because of their belief. Considering the consequences, I might have allowed doubt to seep into me too. Who wouldn’t?
See, these men didn’t hide behind opulent walls. They faced true persecution. Time tends to reduce complex history to mere footnotes. That doesn’t mean we should forget. There is a lesson here. We shouldn’t white-wash over the finer details because of what we want to remember, or simply reduce people to caricatures by letting broader life works and sacrifices fade into obscurity.
As for what happened to Thomas, accounts vary—early Christian traditions and legends developed around his travels. And, today, he is associated with the establishment of Christianity in India. According to a 2011 census, the world’s second-largest country is home to almost 30 million Christians.3
Perhaps a single moment of doubt isn’t one’s undoing. “Do not doubt but believe…” And Thomas did. People are more than a song, more than a coach or job. They are more than a viral moment or crude nickname. And viewed through that lens, despite a moniker everlasting, perhaps Thomas wasn’t so doubtful after all.
