Faith and Doubt
We’ve all been there. Some of us are currently there. If we’re not now, we will be soon. Questioning…
…the credibility of God, of the Bible, of the Church, of Christians. [Things] worth pondering, not for their profundity so much as for their ubiquity. There are many people who quietly think these things. Some of them occupy pews and pulpits. Ask yourself, “How would I respond if my son, daughter, or best friend said these things to me?” If your reflex is a 20-point refutation, you’re starting off on the wrong foot.
Take careful note of how Jesus interacts with Thomas in John chapter twenty.
Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.”
Then he focused his attention on Thomas. “Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don’t be unbelieving. Believe.”
It’s a gentle encouragement prefaced with a word of comfort: peace. I can almost hear the smile on his face as he extends his hand to guide Thomas’s to his side.
We are blessed for believing without seeing, but we are loved no matter how long it takes us or how much we have to see.
(via Cyberbrethren)
