Luke 24:12 NLT
'However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.'
Peter, the impetuous disciple, the one Jesus identified as the foundation for the Church, is unhappy simply with dismissing the women’s account. So he goes to check the grave out for himself. All is as they reported, although no angels remained to give him any directions. Having carefully checked the space out he returns full of wonder. Wonder is a brilliant asset for any disciple. Peter no doubt recalls Jesus’ teaching, so confusing at times, and the promise of the resurrection. He, perhaps more than most, was desperate to address the guilt of his own denial.
Faith seldom offers us clear and unequivocal answers. While the scripture that God neither fails nor forsakes us is true, discovering its practical reality when tragedy strikes is a process of wonder. Many questions rise to the forefront of our minds and we are left to ponder the meaning of events. We are invited to resist rash decisions and from drawing obvious conclusions. These are all too often informed by a wave of emotions that engulf us.
Peter’s great strength remained his willingness to look beyond the obvious and to invest faith in his questions. This ability to wonder enabled him to respond to a vision demanding he break Jewish tradition and then led him to encounter God in the conversion of Cornelius’ Gentile household. God’s apparent absence is, in my experience, a product of my own lack of wonder. This can arise from a loss of confidence in God or duress of life. Learning to go in search of encounter as Peter did opens pathways for meeting with God in unanticipated ways and unexpected places.
The gift of wonder includes a measure of doubt. I can look for God encounter, but must doubt its reality until I experience it. Wonder, thinking about something because I want to know more, is a healthy part of daily Christian practice.
QUESTION: Do your questions carry you closer or further away from God?
PRAYER: Thank you for the resurrection power which raised Christ from the dead, available to all who trust in him. Lord Jesus, I believe; help me in my unbelief.

Released on 15 Apr 2020