The story of Thomas demonstrates the power of FOMO. FOMO as many of you know is an acronym meaning the “fear of missing out.” FOMO describes very real fears and emotions that are deep inside each and every one of us. FOMO is the feeling of apprehension that one is either not in the know or is missing out on information, events, or experiences that could make one's life better. FOMO is also associated with a fear of regret, which may lead to concerns that one might miss an opportunity for social interaction, a novel experience, a memorable event, or the chance to advance one’s career. FOMO is characterized by a desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing, and can be described as the fear that deciding not to participate is the wrong choice. FOMO is very real and it is really powerful and it can cause one to feel negatively about oneself and their life.
Businesses know the power of FOMO and use it to maximize their revenue. I think that the best example of this in our community is the State Fair. Yes, I know that there is going to be a State Fair preview over Memorial Day weekend but the real State Fair is open for twelve days ending on Labor Day. I like the State Fair, but I also like other cultural institutions that we are fortunate to have in the Twin Cities. Over the years I have enjoyed my experiences visiting the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Walker Art Center, the Museum of Russian Art, the Bell Museum, the Mill City Museum and the Minnesota History Center. In my eleven years in the Twin Cities these are among my favorite museums and I have visited each of them at least once but I do not visit them every season or every year. However, before the pandemic hit, I had a streak of visiting the State Fair for seven straight years. I do not necessarily like the State Fair that much more than the other attractions that I have mentioned but the State Fair is good at taking advantage of FOMO. The museums in the Twin Cities are open virtually every day. Like many of you I am really busy and my leisure time is limited. Now that I am feeling more comfortable being out in public again returning to one of my favorite museums seems like a good idea, however it is easy to come up with excuses. When something is always open FOMO is not a factor. I suggest to my wife that we should go to a museum when the weather is better, or when we have more time like when her spring busy season is over, or when I am done with internship. When there is no deadline or no sense of urgency often nothing gets done. When the State Fair starts in August the power of FOMO kicks into high gear. You hear a broadcast from the State Fair that gets you thinking about going. Your friends tell you about their experience either during a conversation or on social media. You then realize that you have to get there before midnight on Labor Day and all of a sudden FOMO has motivated you to achieve the distinction of being a thirty-year customer of the State Fair.
Thomas missed out on more than a Pronto Pup. He missed out on something a million times greater. Thomas had an opportunity to see the Risen Jesus on the greatest day in human history and he was nowhere to be found. Mary Magdalene, Peter, and the beloved disciple who is certainly not Thomas saw the empty tomb. Later when she was crying outside the tomb Mary was comforted by the Risen Lord. On that Easter evening Jesus appeared before a group of unnamed disciples which of course did not include Thomas. The Gospel of John records three convincing proofs of the Resurrection on that Easter Day that were available for Thomas to witness but he missed every single one of them. The author of the Gospel of John does not use the term “the twelve” during the story of Jesus’ appearance to the disciples on Easter evening which leaves open the possibility there were others outside of “the twelve” who were present as well as the possibility that others of “the twelve” were not there. Other followers of Jesus may not have been there but Thomas is the only one who is specifically mentioned which seems to indicate that Thomas is the one who was the most devastated about missing out.
FOMO is real and it causes both anxiety and distress. I cannot imagine how difficult that week was for Thomas. The text does not mention when the disciples told him what they had seen. It is possible that he knew as early as Monday morning that he had missed the appearance of Jesus. When I worked in consulting and corporate tax, I always remember Monday as the day where FOMO burned fiercely as people talked about their weekends. Those Monday office conversations were the perfect environment for creating jealousy inside the person who had missed the great meal, the new movie, or the big game. Thomas was surely emotionally crushed as it did not seem possible that Jesus would appear again the next Sunday. Thomas surely thought that he had missed out on the biggest thing ever.
Thomas could have been consumed by jealousy, anger, and shame and he could have left the Jesus movement behind. Thomas could have reasoned that there was a reason that he had missed out and that it just was not meant to be for him to be a disciple. Thankfully, Thomas did not react that way, and he made sure that he would not miss out again. His presence with the disciples a week later indicates that despite missing out on the big day he was still meeting with the disciples as they were trying to figure out the path of their mission and ministry. Lightning does strike twice as the Risen Jesus appears again and this time Thomas is there. Jesus freely and willingly gives Thomas exactly what he requests. Jesus invites Thomas to put his finger in the mark of the nails and to put his hand in his side. The text does not indicate whether or not Thomas does actually touch Jesus but just being in Christ’s presence and being invited to touch the wounds is enough for Thomas to exclaim the boldest affirmation of Christ in the entire Gospel of John when he says “My Lord and my God!” Thomas may have had doubts but he also had belief and seeing the Risen Christ inspired him to proclaim his deep belief in Jesus.
This bold statement is likely not the end of the Thomas story. According to traditional accounts of the Saint Thomas Christians of modern-day Kerala in India, Thomas traveled outside the Roman Empire to preach the Gospel, and he reached modern-day Kerala on the southwest coast of India in the year 52 CE. To this day Thomas is considered the patron saint of Christians on the Indian subcontinent. Kerala has a population of 34 million people and today Christians make up 18% of the residents of Kerala which is the highest percentage of Christians in any Indian state. Kerala also has the highest literacy rate and the longest life expectancy of any Indian state. It may be a stretch to attribute these things to an apostle who visited two thousand years ago but the fact that millions of Christians in India hold the belief that it was Thomas who brought Christianity to their community is a strong witness to the reality that the Risen Lord enables faith and changes lives in ways that spread the love of Christ to others so that nobody misses out on experiencing the Risen Jesus.
Like Thomas we are all both doubters and believers. We like to think of ourselves primarily as believers but it is normal to have doubts. Our doubts often cause us to miss seeing the Risen Christ in our midst. The fear of missing out is very real but thankfully we are given many opportunities to see the Risen Christ in our daily lives. The Risen Christ can take many different forms. Sometimes we encounter the Risen Jesus in an act of service. I remember one snowy day when I was volunteering at a community meal and one of the guests asked me for the snow shovel was so that he could clear the walk so that the guests with mobility issues could safely enter the building. I have also seen the Risen Lord in acts of compassion just like when I was a chaplain at North Memorial ministering to a grieving family and as people were breaking down in tears a nurse appeared with boxes of tissues. I have seen the Risen Christ in the scriptures when a passage that I have read many times before suddenly hits me in a different way and opens up a new insight that I had not previously seen. I could also list other signs here but it is impossible for one to document all of the ways that Jesus is present in our midst.
The fear of missing out is a very real phenomenon, however we should not be paralyzed by the fear of missing out. We have many opportunities to see the Risen Christ as the constant presence of the Risen Lord means that with Jesus we never truly miss out as Jesus is always in front of us, offering himself to us and inviting us to see him and to touch him. Encounters with Jesus can and do happen frequently even if we cannot predict when they will happen. These encounters turn our fears and doubts into hope and belief. Christ appears in the midst of our doubts and strengthens our belief as the Risen Christ works through us so that we can share what we have seen with others and that others can also share Christ’s presence with us as well.