My friend bought a new car recently and remarked, ‘Wow, I didn’t know how many cars were out on the road that were just like mine!’

And an old, Latin phrase came to mind:

‘Whatever is received is received according to the manner of the receiver.’

In other words, we take biases into our perception of reality.

We have our own lenses - through which we perceive things:.

We get a new car - we immediately see others that look like it.

Bias, preconceptions, ingrained habits - these all come to mind when we turn to that perennial ’Sunday after Easter Story’ of Doubting Thomas.

When the Risen Christ comes to the disciples, while Thomas is out at Starbucks, we see several biases at work when, upon his return, they tell him that Jesus has appeared - and Thomas doesn’t buy it - and when he rejects the idea of the Risen Christ, we see his biases coming to light.

We see Confirmation Bias, which is when our brains welcome information that confirms what it already thinks, and resists information that disturbs or contradicts.

We see his Complexity Bias, the proclivity of our brains to reject a complex truth, in exchange for a simple untruth.

And we see his Convenience Bias, which is when our brains welcome information that keeps us happy and complacent, but rejects information that causes us to work or embrace discomfort.

Thomas’ is a story about facing our biases - being open to new paths - to possibility, openness, in order to make room for God.

Jesus knows this - and here’s how he addresses it:

Notice how he appears to his disciples?

Not arrayed in white light, ascending as a regally clothed Deity saying, “I told you so!”

No - Jesus comes among them pointing to his wounds.

Jesus calls attention to the marks of his suffering, his humiliation, his fraternity with everyone who has, is, and will ever live - by connecting with our suffering.

Ask people when they’ve felt closest to Jesus, and I always get the same answer - “When I was down, when I was out, when I was at my lowest."

Jesus comes to us at our lowest, in his lowliness, to help us climb higher.

Jesus transcends human bias in the humility of the cross to show us the strength of vulnerability.

He shows us how we build fraternity in our woundedness, and strengthen our bonds in the admission of our frailties.

Ours is an authentic God - asking us to be who we are - and bidding us to come to him as we are - laying our preconceptions aside - walking in a humility he mirrors, in pain and inadequacy he feels, that we might be strengthened enough to show other walking wounded, where they too might find healing.

Go through the day today humbly and not afraid to connect with the wounds of others - with our own wounds.

Humility is not a sign of powerlessness, but of true power.