A couple of weeks ago I preached about doubting. Lots of people have talked with me about how important that sermon was to them. I’ve done some more thinking about it, here is what I have been kicking around in my head. You can find the sermon here
I read an article the other day that said one of the main reasons people stop going to church, not just change to another church but really stop going altogether, is that the people in the church don’t deal well with folks that have doubts. Funny thing is, everybody has doubts. I always find it somewhat humorous that some Christians feel a need to straighten out folks with doubts. I mean really, doubt has a deep and proud tradition in the body of Christ. In fact, I don’t think we can even call ourselves Christ-like unless we have doubts. Frankly, even Jesus had some doubts.
Remember the whole thing on the cross? My God, my God why have you forsaken me? When I read this in the church I always want to stop right there and yell surprise! There he is on the cross about to give his life. He has been obedient to the father all his life and all of a sudden the father skips out and says, by the way, that whole dying thing? You’re on your own. It sounds like a pretty big doubt to me. More disturbing is that this isn’t an onetime isolated incident that can be overlooked. Just a few hours earlier he was doing some major doubting. Remember the garden prayer?
Turns out, Jesus was not entirely sold on the father’s plan. The Craig Laughlin version goes like... Father, this whole dying on the cross thing... um... if there is a plan “B” could we explore that option now? Crosses are a pretty tough way to go.
Okay now I’m going to get myself in trouble but it seems to me that to not have doubts is a sign that one is delusional, not being truthful with themself or hasn’t thought about their faith very much. To say I have no doubts is to imply one has an unshakable answer for every question. Really? Come hang out with me I’ve got some questions that make my head hurt.
Okay, I’m going to push it a little further. It just seems to me that to have faith one must have doubts. In fact, having all the answers is in some ways the opposite of faith. Faith is not the ability to control our circumstances or resolve every issue. It is choosing to trust God even when the road ahead is as terrifying, kind of like crosses and dying alone.
When I was in college we used to talk about having to take a Leap of Faith. That is where doubting comes in. Doubting is what reveals the gap that faith must leap over. It just seems to me that folks who profess to have no doubts probably don’t have much faith either. It seems to me that they have substituted self-assurance for faith. Even Jesus needed faith to leap over the gaps. I think I have decided that faith is about trusting the father even when I can’t figure it all out.
Could it be that the most faith-filled words Jesus spoke were not about making blind people see and lame people walk? What if the most faith-filled words Jesus spoke were into your hand I commit my spirit and not my will but yours be done.
I have to admit I have more doubts than Jesus did, but then they crucified him. Besides at least I am in good company. Oh, if you are a doubter welcome to my world and by the way, you’re welcome at my church. Let’s do coffee, talk about our doubts, and share what we have learned.
By His Grace,
