Believing the blessing, together
I ‘ve spent a lot of time walking down memory lane recently. As many of you know, this is the second time I’ve called Iowa home, the first being during my years at Wartburg College. Those memories are resurfacing and one in particular has stayed with me, a blessing that we shared at the end of every Wartburg chapel service:
“I am a beloved child of God, deserving of love and respect, God will use me to change the world.”
This wasn’t a new idea for me — I was raised in a church that surrounded me with love and encouragement. But I watched classmates wrestle with these words. At first, some spoke them hesitantly. Over time, they grew into them, eventually holding on to every word with bold conviction.
I was reminded of the blessing as I prepared a sermon on Doubting Thomas, the familiar reading we hear every year on the Sunday after Easter. I began to wonder: if Thomas had spoken these words of blessing, would he believe them right away – or would he have needed time?
Faith, like the word of that blessing, isn’t always steady. It ebbs and flows. There were days — even weeks — when I was not convinced that those words applied to me. But even then, I stood in the chapel, surrounded by others speaking them aloud. When I struggled to believe, the community around me carried that blessing for me.
We often describe faith as a relationship between ourselves and God. But faith is also something we share with one another. When believing, praying, or hoping feels too hard, the people beside us can hold faith on our behalf. And when they struggle, we can do the same for them.
This often-quiet exchange is one of the greatest gifts of Christian community. Through baptism and the promise of grace and love revealed in the resurrection, we are bound together. Just as Jesus met Thomas in his questions, God meets us wherever we are — even in moments when belief feels out of reach.
May you always remember: You are a beloved child of God, deserving of love and respect. And God will use you to change the world.
