Doubting Thomas

 

I read something the other day that has changed my view of doubt.  Randy Harris wrote a book called God Work.  In the first chapter of this book he writes, “The opposite of faith is not doubt.  The opposite of faith is complacency.  Anybody who cares enough to doubt is very close to the faith.”

This took me aback.  I thought I was supposed to be ashamed of my doubts.  Doubt meant that I was not the strong faithful Christian that I needed to be, questioning nothing and certain of everything.  Thomas doubted that Christ had risen and was standing in front of him and we give him a hard time for it.  But how many of us would have believed that our Teacher, who was killed on a cross three days ago was really back from the dead? 

Augustine says, “Only he who doubts can truly believe.”   

I am forming some new ideas about doubt.  Doubt is not our enemy.  Doubt is the search for truth.  After thinking back, to when Christ transformed my life I remembered that it wasn’t until I verbally expressed my doubts to a trusted friend and mentor that I was a able to truly believe. 

What would happen if we started encouraging this kind of conversation?  Where doubts could be freely expressed.  We could put all our questions out on the table and work through them rather than suppress them.  We would never stopped searching for the truth because we would never become complacent with our faith.    

Let God use your doubt to teach you more than he ever has. 

And let’s stop giving Thomas a hard time. 

Who was, Who is, and Who is to Come

As we get older life gets more complicated.  My life is changing and I can hardly keep up.  In December I went from a carefree college kid to landing the job of my dreams before even walking across the stage to get a diploma.  I am beyond thankful, but hitting the ground running is an understatement.  Kurt’s grandfather passed away on Christmas morning after a long battle with emphysema, and later that week his brother got married (we are so excited for the new married couple!).  Our hearts have been put through quiet the roller coaster. 

Needless to say, by Christmas night I was not feeling the Christmas spirit like a normally do.  I pulled out my bible and opened to John 1.  Not the typical Christmas manger scene story you will find in Matthew, Mark, or Luke, but its words washed over my thirsty soul.    

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.  John 1:1-5

As I was finishing the passage, Kurt came in the room, saw what I was reading, and showed me something that I now cherish.  He pointed me to Genius 1.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  And God SAID, “Let there be light.”

I am no scholar.  I am no theologian.  But I do know that words are spoken.  From this I conclude that when God was speaking this earth into being Jesus flowed from this lips.  Jesus was light in the darkness and chaos of Genesis, as the was the light in the darkness of the new testament, AS HE IS THE LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS TODAY.  The Lord who lowered himself to man in order to save us was the very word who created us. 

Something about this revelations made the worries I was feeling that night dissolve as I sat in awe of the one who was, and who is, and who is to come.  Although our lives and circumstances are always changing, he is the same.