The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade (To view this resource in Spanish, click here.)
Thomas touched the wounds of the resurrected Christ amid his spiritual crisis. Today as we endure an eco-spiritual crisis, touching the wounds of our planet can foster compassion and healing.
Here are ideas for reading and preaching John 20:19-31 on the Second Sunday of Easter, Year A. This reading comes during Earth Month when many churches connect faith with God’s Creation. This is part of the EcoPreacher 1-2-3 series to equip preachers and congregations for engaging the Bible through an ecological lens.
Eco-Exegesis
Eco-exegesis is a method of interpreting the biblical text through a green lens using the principles of ecological theology.
John 20:25 — Thomas said: “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.”
Thomas had not witnessed Jesus’s resurrection appearance as his colleagues had. For whatever reason, he was not present to see the risen Christ. He was caught in a spiritual crisis borne of trauma and grief. What he did witness was the state-sanctioned murder of his teacher by political leaders driven by arrogance, fear, and an unquenchable thirst for power. It was natural for him to express doubt and disbelief. Thomas was reeling from trauma and grief.
When Jesus does appear to Thomas, he invites him to touch his wounds. Jesus encourages him to believe that the end of the story is not yet written. The resurrection – scars and all – engenders hope that a better future is possible. It promises that life can arise even out of the most horrific death. For Thomas, this is a moment of deep compassion, connection, and healing.
When we touch the wounds of our planet, we might find ourselves experiencing an eco-spiritual crisis. These wounds are the bodies of birds choked with plastics. Mountains decimated by mining exhibit gaping scars. War bombs rip apart bodies, landscapes, and cause black rain to fall from the sky.
We feel powerless against the seemingly unstoppable destructive reign of leaders and systems driven by arrogance, fear, and an unquenchable thirst for power and wealth. It is no wonder when we fall into despair that blocks the sight of hope.
This is why preachers need to lift up stories of environmental woundedness being transformed by a vision for wholeness, healing, and hope. We need to hear about inspiring examples of ecological justice that remind us: the end of the story is not yet written. A better future is possible. And life can arise even out of the most horrific death.
The ecoAmerica Climate Leadership Awards is just such a collection of these stories. They highlight examples of organizations that are transforming environmental woundedness into restoration and justice. Especially inspiring is the list of finalists for the Youth Awards, such as Black Girl Environmentalist which advances climate leadership equity for Black women, girls, and gender-expansive people to enter and thrive in environmental careers. Here is the link to learn more about the CLA Awards: https://ecoamerica.org/american-climate-leadership-awards/
A sermon connecting Thomas’s spiritual crisis with the eco-spiritual crisis of our time can echo the compassion, connection, and healing in Jesus’s words. “Peace be with you. Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe” (John 20:26b-27).
The Eco-Idea is one succinct statement that tells us who God is and/or what God does in relation to Creation and how we should respond as people of faith.
Just as Jesus invited Thomas to touch his wounds and trust in the promise of new life, so does the risen Christ come to us as we are touching the wounds of our planet to bring wholeness, healing, and hope.
Eco-Questions are what we can ask to help a congregation draw out the implications of the Eco-Exegesis and Eco-Idea.
- What environmental pain causes you to experience an eco-spiritual crisis or grief? Is it the loss of natural areas you once loved? The extinction of species? The climate-charged weather catastrophes that are destroying communities? How does your mind and body process this grief?
- During this Earth Month, what are ways that you can support the people who are touching the wounds of our planet in order to bring healing and restoration? Can you or your church support organizations that are protecting natural lands? Can you join a local environmental group that is fighting against destructive industries? What are the wounds that are calling for your attention?
Eco-Actions are ways that a congregation might respond to the Eco-Idea and Eco-Questions. One of these possibilities may have salience for your ministry context.
- Gather a group of youth and adults to watch the video of the American Climate Leadership Awards. Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/RkoWDnUAQ0yDtnh9jGswZA#/registration Note that one of the finalists is a faith group – Lutherans Restoring Creation. Discuss how their efforts can inspire your own congregation.
- Plan an environmental clean-up day in your community. Identify a place that suffers from litter and trash, such as a beach, riverbank, urban lot, or city park. Invite other congregations to join you in touching the wounds of this place and transforming it into a vision of hope for what is possible.
- Plan an Earth Day Memorial Service to remember the ways our planet has been wounded. Remember species that have gone extinct in the last year, the communities that have been ravaged by climate catastrophes, and the natural areas that have suffered from military conflict, drought, wildfires, or flooding. Make space for environmental grief through a ritual of liturgical lament.
Just as Jesus invited Thomas to touch his wounds and trust in the promise of new life, so does the risen Christ come to us as we are touching the wounds of our planet to bring wholeness, healing, and hope. Ideas for teaching and preaching on John 20:19-31. https://www.patheos.com/blogs/ecopreacher/2026/04/thomas-touching-christs-wounds-eco-spiritual-lessons/
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