Judith Russenberger

Counting on … day 87

16th April 2024

Green cement – part 2

As part of the need to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions to address the climate crisis, reducing emissions from cement production is essential.

50% of the emissions come from the release of carbon dioxide as a byproduct during the clinker making process. One solution is carbon capture- capturing the CO2 before it escapes into the atmosphere, pressurising it to a liquid which is injected into rock strata deep underground. This technology has yet to be developed for use at an industrial scale.

Another solution is to replace the limestone with an alternative that produces less CO2 – such as magnesium oxide mixed with magnesium chloride solution. However such alternative cements may not have all the attributes of cement when in use – different construction methods may be needed.

40% of the emissions are attributable to the energy needed to heat the clinker kilns. Switching to renewable energy to replace coal is one solution but requires considerable investment in green electricity production and distribution.

Using materials other than limestone – such as volcanic rock – that can produce clinker at lower temperatures is another possible solution. Another alternative is to replace a proportion of the cement with an alternative binder such as ground granulated blast furnace slag or pulverised fly ash. Again this may alter the properties of the cement and require different construction methods.

10% of the emissions comes from energy used in mining and transporting the raw materials. Energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy will be a way forward.

Further reading –https://theconversation.com/green-cement-a-step-closer-to-being-a-game-changer-for-construction-emissions-126033

(https://theconstructor.org/concrete/green-cement-types-applications/5568/

Counting on … day 86

15th April 2024

Green cement? Part 1

Cement is made by heating limestone and clay together at very high temperatures. The clay and limestone is converted to a dried out material called clinker, whilst at the same time releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide. The clinker when ground to a powder is what we know as cement.

The production of cement has a very high carbon footprint arising from a) the energy needed to roast the clay and limestone which invariably comes from fossil fuels, and b) the carbon dioxide released during manufacture. Each tonne of cement produces up to 622kg carbon dioxide.

Cement is widely used in large quantities across the globe in the construction of buildings, roads, drains and various other types of infrastructure. CO2 emissions from cement account for 7% of all global emissions – 1605 tonnes per year. Here in the UK cement produces about 4b tonnes CO2.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46455844

Third Sunday of Easter

14th April 2024

Reflection – readings follow on below.

The Psalmist expresses my frequent cry: ‘Oh that we might see better times!’ I look at the damage caused by climate change, the damage caused to the environment by greed and over-consumption, the poverty that arises from injustice, the suffering of war and armed conflict – and I despair.

To which I think Peter would reply, ‘Why do you wonder? Faith that is through Jesus, the Holy and Righteous One, the Author of Life – to whom you are a witness – is the means of healing what is broken!’

If we are not following the teachings of Jesus, or if we are not following the will of God in tending and caring for all life – whether consciously through Christian fellowship or intuitively through natural wisdom – then what do we expect?

Nevertheless I do see that the process of healing – of salvation – is a slow process one because so often we reject what Jesus – God’s chosen one, the Christ – teaches us. That we should love God and in so doing honour God’s creation, and that we should love our neighbour as ourself without reservation. Which makes it all the more important that we do witness to what is going right in the world – those actions which match Jesus’s teaching, which are the Good News – and witness to what is going wrong through ignorance and sin.

Here I want to give three examples.

We can witness to the example of Jesus feeding the 5000 and to the valiant efforts being made to feed thousands in Gaza by groups such as the UN World Food Programme and World Central Kitchen. And we can witness to the actions of the State of Israel in impeding the delivery of such aid.

We can witness to the many examples of Jesus healing people in mind and body, and in restoring people to their communities – such as Legion – and to the work of groups such as the Red Cross and the Red Crescent, and Médecins Sans Frontières in bringing healing to many caught up in war zones. And we can witness to the actions of the suppliers of armaments and armed groups that instigate and perpetuate armed conflict.

We can witness to the many examples of Jesus challenging those with wealth and skills to use them for the common good, and to the work of organisations such as Oxfam, Practical Action and Just Money in creating situations where wealth and skills are used to raise up the poor and to bring down the mighty. And we can witness to the actions of corporations such as Barclays and Shell and Amazon in perpetuating policies that disadvantage the poor and vulnerable.

Just as in the gospel, so today, the risen Jesus says to us ‘Peace be with you’.

The word in Greek translated as peace is eirḗnē which draws from the verb eirō with the meanings be joined, tie together, make whole. The peace that Jesus offers us is that which joins us together, as a community, as a team. Together we can support each other and create a whole that is greater than its parts – that which St Paul describes as the body of Christ. As we celebrate Easter and the resurrection, let us draw on that peace that can – even if slowly – create the better times we and the whole world wants.

Acts 3:12-19

Peter addressed the people, “You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.

“And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out.”

Psalm 4

1 Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause; *
you set me free when I am hard-pressed;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

2 “You mortals, how long will you dishonour my glory; *
how long will you worship dumb idols
and run after false gods?”

3 Know that the Lord does wonders for the faithful; *
when I call upon the Lord, he will hear me.

4 Tremble, then, and do not sin; *
speak to your heart in silence upon your bed.

5 Offer the appointed sacrifices *
and put your trust in the Lord.

6 Many are saying, “Oh, that we might see better times!” *
Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O Lord.

7 You have put gladness in my heart, *
more than when grain and wine and oil increase.

8 I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep; *
for only you, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

1 John 3:1-7

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

Luke 24:36b-48

Jesus himself stood among the disciples and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”

Counting on … day 85

12th April 2024

Fossil Fuel Subsidies -2

“Since the Paris Agreement, the government has provided £13.6 billion in subsidies to the UK oil and gas industry. From 2016 to 2020 companies received £9.9 billion in tax relief for new exploration and production, including £15 million of direct grants for exploration, and £3.7 billion in payments towards decommissioning costs.” https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/energy/paid-pollute-fossil-fuel-subsidies-uk-what-you-need-know

Research from 2023 commissioned by the Liberal Democrats showed that between 2015 and 2020 renewable energy received £60bn in subsidies whilst fossil fuels received £80bn. In 2020/1 fossil fuels received £1bn whilst renewable energy received a mere £1m! https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/09/fossil-fuels-more-support-uk-than-renewables-since-2015

Such subsidies are the explicit subsidies. As far as I know, renewable energy generation does not produce pollutants or other harmful side effects. Whereas we as citizens and tax payers are also paying for the implicit subsidy of fossil fuels through ill health caused by pollution from fossil fuels, as well as ill health caused by excess temperatures; through the extra cost thus imposed on the health service; from the extra cost of food as more harvests fail; and the extra cost of repairing buildings and infrastructure affected by extreme wind/ rain and temperatures.

According to Kisters (an international environmental data and insights organisation that focuses on gathering and reporting data on the water, weather, energy, environment and IT sectors) “the cost of natural disasters in the UK is rising by 11.2 per cent a year, while the UK’s GDP grew by 4.3 per cent in 2022 (according to the Office for National Statistics)…Floods are the most expensive risk the UK faces at present, with the cost of dealing with extreme flooding projected to rise to $217.2bn by 2030-2039 without intervention. But an increasing number of extreme storms also poses a threat. Between 2010 and 2019 storms cost the UK around $1.6bn, but by 2030-2039 this is estimated to rise to $3.8bn. In 2020-29, Kisters predicts the UK government will spend $43.8bn on dealing with the effects of all climate-caused natural disasters.” https://www.newstatesman.com/spotlight/sustainability/climate/2023/12/extreme-weather-natural-disasters-uk-economy-government

Counting on … day 84

11th April 2024

Fossil Fuel Subsidies -1

This overview of fossil fuel subsidies comes from the IMF: “Subsidies are intended to protect consumers by keeping prices low, but they come at a substantial cost. Subsidies have sizeable fiscal consequences (leading to higher taxes/borrowing or lower spending), promote inefficient allocation of an economy’s resources (hindering growth), encourage pollution (contributing to climate change and premature deaths from local air pollution), and are not well targeted at the poor (mostly benefiting higher income households). Removing subsidies and using the revenue gain for better targeted social spending, reductions in inefficient taxes, and productive investments can promote sustainable and equitable outcomes.” (1)

The article goes on to explain the difference between explicit and implicit subsidies, the former being the obvious direct payments to fossil fuel producers to bring down the unit cost of the fuel. The latter is a subsidy that is likely always present, vis in the practice of not charging the fossil fuel producers for the costs of pollution, climate change etc that are a consequence of their business.

“Implicit subsidies occur when the retail price fails to include external costs, inclusive of the standard consumption tax. External costs include contributions to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions, local health damages (primarily pre-mature deaths) through the release of harmful local pollutants like fine particulates, and traffic congestion and accident externalities associated with the use of road fuels”(1)

By way of example they provide the following bar chart:

(1) https://www.imf.org/en/Topics/climate-change/energy-subsidies

Green Tau issue 88

10th April 2024

The law, juries and justice

In the UK laws are made by Parliament. The Parliamentary process should involve in-depth scrutiny and widespread consultation with those likely to be affected to ensure that laws are both fair and effective.

(I use the word ‘should’ because the reality at the moment is that often such scrutiny is lacking. The following comes from a Legal Action Group report: “Speaking at the annual Bingham Lecture, Lord Judge, who now sits in the House of Lords, observed that parliament produces around 3,000 pages of primary legislation a year, along with 12–13,000 pages of secondary legislation. Disturbingly, he expressed doubts about how much of this was even ‘read, just read’ by parliamentarians, ‘let alone scrutinised’.” https://www.lag.org.uk/article/201782/parliamentary-scrutiny-of-our-legislation-is-being-lost-to-misused-executive-power)

Once passed, the laws are enforced by the legal system, including the courts where the interpretation of the law can be explored.

The English legal system is renowned for it jury trials – trials where the defendant’s guilt or innocence is determined by twelve of their fellow citizens. The jury hears the evidence, for and against, and then retires to deliberate amongst themselves as to whether or not they think that the defendant is or is not guilty. At the outset each witness, including the defendant, swear that they will tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. This ensures that the jury has all the relevant evidence.

The role of the judge is to make sure that the case is conducted in accordance with the law. They use their knowledges and experience in interpreting the law, elucidating for the court what they believe the law says or means. The judge can also determine which evidence is relevant to the case and can therefore be heard in court. When the evidence has been heard, the jury – not the judge – gives the verdict of guilty or not guilty. In this way the democratic process is brought to bear upon the legal system: it is the decision of twelve randomly chosen fellow citizens who determine whether or naturally a law has been broken by the defendant. Having heard the juries’ verdict, the judge – of the defendant has been found guilty -determines the sentence that concludes the case. Again this is done within the guideline laid down by law.

Judges have to be impartial ensuring that everyone – defendants, witnesses and jurors, are treated equally and fairly.

Jurors too have to be impartial and must make their decisions about the case purely on the basis of the evidence that they hear whilst in court. They must not look for information elsewhere – be that via the internet, the media, friends or family etc. Rather they must only discuss the evidence they hear in court with – and only when all twelve are present – their fellow jurors. They must determine on each count whether or not the defendant is guilty or not guilty. Their decision must be one that reflects their joint thinking. Their decision is one of conscience based on the evidence that they have heard. Jurors do not – and indeed must not – explain what they discussed and how they have reached their decision.

At The Old Bailey there is a plaque beating the following text:

“Near this site William Penn and William Mead were tried in 1670 for preaching to an unlawful assembly in Grace Church Street. This tablet commemorates the courage and endurance of the jury, Thos Vere, Edward Bushell and ten others who refused to give a verdict against them although locked up without food for two nights and were fined for their final verdict of not guilty. The case of these jurymen was reviewed on a Writ of Habeas Corpus and Chief Justice Vaughan delivered the opinion of the Court which established”The Right of Juries” to give their verdict according to their convictions.”

It concerns a trial in which the jury was not willing to find the defendants, William Penn and William Mead, guilty. The judge then ruled that the jury must find defendants guilty. When they refused, the judge had them locked up without food and water for two days. When they still would not find the defendants guilty, the judge fined the jury members. Those who refused to pay were imprisoned. Edward Bushell appealed to a higher court that he was being unlawfully imprisoned. The Chief Justice released him and declared that jurors could only be punished if they behaved improperly and not because they came to a decision that did not suit the judge or appeared contri to the evidence.

This right that juries should convict according to their conscience is now the subject of debate, following the arrest of Trudi Warner – for holding up a placard bearing that same inscription as depicted on the plaque inside The Old Bailey – for contempt of court.

Not surprisingly there has been a strong reaction to this and a group called Defend Our Juries has been coordinating actions outside Crown Courts (where jury cases are heard) where individuals have become human billboards, sitting in silence outside the court holding a replica sign summarising the words from the Old Bailey.

For more information about these issues – https://defendourjuries.org/

Counting on … day 83

10th April 2024

Carbon Tax – 3

Carbon emissions may be produced outside the country where the final product is consumed. This could be a way of avoiding paying a carbon tax by shifting the emission-producing part of the business elsewhere, or it could equally be a way for a foreign importer to achieve a price advantage over indigenous producers. A good carbon tax needs to be aware of these for means of tax evasion.

The Europe Union is phasing in such a tax avoidance mechanism – it will be 100% in place by 2026.

“The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is the EU’s tool to put a fair price on the carbon emitted during the production of carbon intensive goods that are entering the EU, and to encourage cleaner industrial production in non-EU countries. By confirming that a price has been paid for the embedded carbon emissions generated in the production of certain goods imported into the EU, the CBAM will ensure the carbon price of imports is equivalent to the carbon price of domestic production, and that the EU’s climate objectives are not undermined. The CBAM is designed to be compatible with WTO-rules.” https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism_en

Just as domestic carbon taxes can disproportionately affect the poor, so carbon taxes can disproportionately affect poor, less developed countries. Wealthy countries can afford to invest in, for example, electric arc furnaces for producing green steel, or in wind farms to generate green electricity, but poorer countries may struggle to invest to the same degree leaving them stuck with using carbon producing industrial processes and therefore subject to more taxation! Just as poorer households need to be supported with subsidies and grants to enable them to shift to greener lifestyles, so poorer countries need to be supported with subsidies and grants from the wealthier nations, to enable them to shift to to greener infrastructures.

Counting on … day 82

9th April 2024

Carbon Tax – 2

Carbon taxes are often criticised for impacting most on the poorest or the most vulnerable. People and businesses with wealth can more easily buy their way out of the situation either by absorbing the tax or through buying alternative products and services that avoid the tax. For example a richer person can more readily buy a new efficient electric car, where someone with less wealth may have to pay more on petrol to continue using their older car. A richer person can more readily afford a heat pump (powered by renewable electricity) and home insulation, whilst a less wealthy person – or someone who is rented accommodation- will have to pay more for running an existing gas boiler in an un-insulated home.

Such issues need to be addressed. Improving public transport, implementing scrappage schemes for old cars and boilers, offering grants for insulation and heat pump installations – including for rented accommodation – are key. At the same time introducing a carbon tax incrementally over time to ensure users can plan and adapt, is also important.

Given the urgency of the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to address the climate crisis, maintaining the status quo is not a good option. It is certainly not a good option for the poorest or most vulnerable as they are the ones who are – and will be – most affected by the impacts of the crisis.

Counting on … day 81

8th April 2024

Carbon Tax -1

“A carbon tax is a tax levied on the carbon emissions from producing goods and services. Carbon taxes are intended to make visible the hidden social costs of carbon emissions. They are designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by essentially increasing the price of fossil fuels. This both decreases demand for goods and services that produce high emissions and incentivises making them less carbon-intensive.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_tax

Many definitions of a carbon tax say it is designed to address the social cost of carbon emissions which is interesting. There is certainly a social cost in terms of threats to the stability of social systems, but the carbon tax (surely?) should aim to tackled those threats -physical ones arising from adverse weather and rising sea levels, and economic ones rising from the adverse affects of climate change on growing crops, ensuring a healthy work force and protecting commercial buildings from damage.

The aim of a carbon tax should be to reduce and ultimately curtail the use of fossil fuels, whilst at the same time encouraging the development and use of alternative renewable energy. There will be a transition period as rapid changes cannot be made overnight.

For example, to make transport systems free of fossil fuels, needs the development and delivery of sufficient electric vehicles, associated charging points and a proportionate increase in renewable energy supplies. It might also need to develop a wider spread, more frequent and affordable public transport system as a means of making best use of the resources needed to make both vehicles and batteries. A carbon tax would be too blunt an instrument to achieve all these changes unless supported by legislation outlining the changes needed, and by grants and subsides to enable smaller and more vulnerable businesses and customers to make the transition.

Second Sunday of Easter

7th April 2024

Reflection – readings follow on below

This short passage from Acts seems almost too good to be true; more like a vision of what our communities could be. It describes a community where loving one’s neighbour as one self is a lived out expression. It is also a community empowered by the grace that comes from Jesus, and a community that is willing and able to proclaim to the wider populace.

It is the sort of community that is prefigured in the feeding of the 5000; in the healing of the sick regardless of who or where they are; in the washing of feet; in the trust of the disciples who set out on journeys without money or food or spare clothes relying instead on the generosity of others; in the sharing of the bread and wine; and in taking risks together. It is a community that can supply a or an upper room on demand. It is the sort of community that could, and should, be described as a resurrection community – a community shaped and empowered by the resurrection.

What then is the power of the resurrection? The passage from John’s letter is not that lucid, but I think it begins by saying that the word of life which is a metaphor for Jesus Christ, is in essence the means of entering eternal life with the God the Father. Through fellowship with Jesus we have union with all that is God. This is made possible because through Jesus our sins are forgiven so that we can once more live in the light – the truth – that is God. And perhaps even more importantly it is not just our individual sins are redeemed, but also our corporate sins, the sins of the world.

The power of the resurrection can perhaps then be understood as the fellowship with God and the redemption of sins, that enables us to live the good neighbourly life of the kingdom of God here on earth – a lifestyle such as glimpsed in Acts. If we are looking for evidence of the power of the resurrection at work, we need to look for such glimpses, where people – and indeed all living beings – live together in peace and harmony. Perhaps we see the commitment to such a future in aid workers and journalists who are willing to risk their lives to protect the people of Gaza. In the people who campaign against poverty, who provide practical solutions for people trying to make a living in the face of the climate crisis. In the lawyers who campaign against the misuse of power by large organisations. In the people who restore biodiversity. In the people who supply and those who run food banks.

Today’s gospel comes in two halves. In the first the risen Jesus comes to the disciples. They seem to be locked away, perhaps even hiding, in a house, full of fear. Jesus speaks to them, ‘Peace’.

The word in Greek is eiréné and means peace of mind and of the health and wellbeing of the individual. It comes from the root eirō meaning to join, tie together into a whole and can thus have the sense of the gift of wholeness. And Jesus then breathes on them the gift of the Holy Spirit, and gives them the agency with which to forgive sins. Thus he enacts for them what the resurrection means.

The second part of the gospel concerns Thomas who was not present and had not seen or touched the risen Jesus. So eight days later (ie on the first day of the new week) Jesus comes again and specifically addresses Thomas. Thomas now believes without reservation. He is drawn into that relationship, that fellowship with God, that is at the heart of the meaning of resurrection. But is this encounter just for Thomas’s benefit, or is it so that we too can hear Jesus’s words? – “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

There are many ways of being witnessed to the resurrection of Jesus other than seeing. The different gospels suggest that we can know the truth of the resurrection and the reality of Jesus’s presence through the words of scripture, through the sharing of bread, through the witness of others, through asking, and through the openness that allows us to hear Jesus’s reply.

May we all be open to receive the power of the resurrection so that we can make the life of the kingdom of God real and present.

Acts 4:32-35

Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Psalm 133

1 Oh, how good and pleasant it is, *
when brethren live together in unity!

2 It is like fine oil upon the head *
that runs down upon the beard,

3 Upon the beard of Aaron, *
and runs down upon the collar of his robe.

4 It is like the dew of Hermon *
that falls upon the hills of Zion.

5 For there the Lord has ordained the blessing: *
life for evermore.

1 John 1:1-2:2

We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life– this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us– we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

John 20:19-31

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.