Our lesson for Sunday, April 23rd, was the story of Thomas. Rarely do we call him Thomas. Usually it is “Doubting Thomas.” Maybe you remember the song from Sunday School that had the phrase, “Don’t be a doubting Thomas...”
I think he gets slammed unfairly. In fact, I am the first card carrying member of: The Society for the Prevention of Abuse to Thomas the Disciple, or “Sft POA TtD” for short. Okay, currently I am the only card carrying member of “Sft POA TtD”, but maybe that will change.
Thomas never doubted Jesus: he doubted the testimony of hysterical disciples who were telling him about Jesus being raised from the dead. I can’t blame him. There is much to admire about Thomas. Thomas is the first to make the connection in his confession that not only is Jesus Lord, but is GOD. Also, notice that Jesus does not indict Thomas for his doubt, only points out that those who come after will be especially blessed when they believe without seeing.
Here’s my belief: Doubt is a natural part of faith, and is not contradictory to it, in the same way that fear is a natural part of courage. Courageous people are those who fear, but do what they have to do despite their fear. Faithful people are people who doubt, but move ahead despite their doubt. The bible is full of stories about faithful doubters: Abraham, Moses, Jonah, David, Jeremiah, Peter, Paul, etc. Doubt is a part of assessing the cost of following Christ: we doubt, assess, then move ahead in faith.
So I do doubt, sometimes. I doubt myself. I doubt whether I have truly been called by God. I doubt whether God is good or even exists. I doubt the church. I doubt you, as you sometimes doubt me. I doubt my future.
When I’ve seen a child die in the arms of her parent (which I’ve seen 3 times!), I wonder about the goodness of God. When I see seemingly “good” people suffer when nasty people are blessed, I doubt. When I do something great in God’s name and get nothing but grief from people, especially those that are supposed to brothers and sisters in Christ, I doubt.
Yet, I don’t stay in that doubt, I move ahead anyway. That, to me, is faith: moving ahead, despite our doubts. I would challenge you to read about any Christian who has accomplished great feats, and of this I can assure you: they all had seasons of doubt out of which they grew stronger in their faith. Read C.S. Lewis, “A Grief Observed.” Read Tolkein, “The Lord of the Rings.” Read Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “The Cost of Discipleship.” Read Bill Wilson, “Jesus Don’t Live here Anymore.” These are some of my heroes in faith, all of whom struggled with extreme seasons of doubt in their life.
Doubt is a necessary part of our journey in faith, and it is what makes us stronger as followers of Jesus. We, God’s people, need to stop indicting others for those times of doubt. Instead, we need to be a support and a loving presence so that others might be sustained in their time of weariness.
Your Partner,
Dave Jones
