Written by Verity Munro

The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily represent the views of St Nic’s.

Coming to university, for a lot of us, is the first time we are fully independent in our faith – many of us find freedom in no longer being under the wings of our home churches, whilst others, like me, find faith for the first time. I think we all are susceptible to attaching God to a place, and for many of us that will be Nottingham or more specifically St Nic’s – so the uprooting in returning to the safety of our homes can leave some of us feeling like we’re on unsteady ground and susceptible to falling into the old routines we left behind here.

Some of you may have listened to Rob Palmer’s sermon a couple of weeks ago on Jesus appearing to his disciples soon after his resurrection – something in particular Rob shared was this picture of there being “no locked doors to Jesus”. I think for all of us, especially students, this image speaks powerfully and is a testament to the truth of God’s reach and capacity to be moving in our lives, no matter where we find ourselves during isolation.

Yet there is also a flip side to this. In this particular passage in John’s Gospel, Thomas (also known as Didymus) refuses to believe the accounts of his fellow disciples encounter with the resurrected Jesus. He doesn’t believe it to be truth.

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.”

In this season, I have found it all too easy to relate to Thomas’ restraint to hold firm to God’s truth, and believe in the miraculous powers of Jesus. When we turn on the news, we are flooded with NHS shortages and an ever-increasing death toll – it can sometimes blind us to the incredible work God is doing. Yet it is evident that God is moving during this time, you need only look at the number of people signed up to Alpha Online, or the numbers tuned in on Sundays to St Nic’s at Home. Like me, you may feel a lot of pressure in this season to be a witness to those around you – evangelising left, right and centre. But the (almost frustrating) thing we need to remind ourselves of is that it is not us doing this, but Him. We are the hands and feet of Jesus as we share the Gospel with our families, friends, and neighbours, but the heart of the Gospel truth comes from Jesus – and Him alone.

Perhaps you are feeling a lot like Thomas, struggling to trust in Jesus in this season.  Or perhaps there is someone you are isolating with or have been praying for, for whom this is a challenge. Alternatively, it might be this image of there being “no locked doors to Jesus” that speaks a real truth over you.  Or maybe (and perhaps more likely), like me, you’re a bit of a pendulum swinging between the two. Either way, in this season we all need to be reminded of the truth of God’s promises no matter how hard it might be for us to believe in them.

The noise of the media flurry and government statements are nothing in comparison to the deafening silence of God’s truth.

I encourage you to search the scriptures for God’s promises and to soak in them, memorise and hold onto their truth in this time. I leave you with a verse from Nahum 1:7 (rogue I know) and I hope it is a part of the truth you are in need of:

The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.

Keep safe and God Bless.