Faithful Doubting

The Sunday after we celebrate the greatest mystery of all time - Christ's Resurrection - we always hear the same story about doubting that very mystery. The Gospel of John tells the story of 'doubting Thomas' - the disciple who didn't believe in the Resurrection, who needed to touch Jesus's resurrected body, to put his finger in the very wound in Christ's side, and only then would he believe the wild mystery of Resurrection. Italian painter Caravaggio graphically painted that very moment of Thomas's finger exploring that wound.

I'm grateful that the framers of the Lectionary gave us the opportunity to reflect on faith and doubt; and I imagine that last week there were some people who came to church on Easter who just have a hard time rationally believing some of our core tenets of faith (virgin birth? miraculous healings? resurrection?). The story of Thomas and Jesus is just for those doubters.

Having doubt is not antithetical to our faith in God - it's essential for a strong faith in the One who created us. Doubt challenges us, makes us wrestle with mystery, expands our imaginations, and allows us a deeper relationship with God. Faith is not simply a matter of holding correct beliefs, it's an orientation of our life pointing us to God, "a framework of values and spirituality, faith as a commitment to live into a deep vision of what life can be, faith as a way of life, faith expressing itself in love." (Brian McLaren)

Pastor and theologian Brian McLaren beautifully wrote about his own journey from orthodox belief through doubt and into a deeper faith: "Doubt need not be the death of faith. It can be, instead, the birth of a new kind of faith, a faith beyond beliefs, a faith that expresses itself in love, a deepening and expanding faith that can save your life and save the world."

So called 'doubting' Thomas took his doubt, his faith, and his trust in God to the ends of the earth. Tradition holds that he traveled to India sharing the Good News of the Risen Christ founding seven churches; Christians in the Kerala region of India trace their faith to this bold, trusting disciple Thomas who wrestled with divine mystery and proclaimed the gift of eternal life.

Blessings,

Rev Jill