On Sunday, our scripture told us of the disciple Thomas needing to see Jesus and touch his wounds for him to believe that Jesus’ resurrection was real; that Jesus’ appearance to the disciples the week before in the locked room was real.

He is risen! He is risen Indeed! Believe it or not those are, in my opinion, the best words in the English language. Those words assure us that we have a God who keeps God’s promises.

Every day, we are surrounded with the extravagance of God’s love for us and for God’s world. May we accept the extravagance of God’s love and pass it on to others.

Grace does not make sense to us. It can at times get messy, when we try to understand and explain it. However, the good news is that we do not have to understand or explain it.

The Bible says that the chaff will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Sounds pretty harsh. Thanks be to God that is not the final word. Our Lord and Savior pleads on our behalf and offers us forgiveness, love and mercy—all of those things we need to bear bountiful fruit.