"Doubt is not the opposite of faith: fear is. Fear will not risk that even if I am wrong, I will trust that if I move today by the light that is given me, knowing it is only finite and partial, I will know more and different things tomorrow than I know today, and I can be open to the new possibility I cannot even imagine today." ~ Verna DozierThomas' example calls us to risk the doubts that call us to greater faith -- opens us to the things we cannot even image today that we may be called to risk, to embrace, to proclaim on behalf of the Gospel as we move forward into God's future.
In fact, I think there is much to be admired in Thomas' dogged insistence that he deserved his own experience of the risen Lord -- that a "faith received from the apostles" was somebody else's faith ... and he wasn't going to settle for it.
And I believe we receive the same invitation from our Lord and that he gave to Thomas.
Listen to Jesus say today:
See me.And then, go out like Thomas did -- into the world without fear in order to call others to claim for themselves a relationship -- an experience -- a faith in the One who loves us enough to become one of us in order to show us how to walk in love with God and with each other.
Touch me.
Ask for what you need in order to believe and I will give it to you.
3 comments:
My women's study group at church decided that doubt is not the opposite of faith; certainty is.
A good friend wears two simple gold necklaces, one with a cross on it and the other with a question mark. Some people have been offended by that, but for her, asking questions about her faith is a very important part of her spiritual journey.
When we came to the diocese of Chicago and Emmanuel refugees from the ultra-right wing takeover of the Lutheran Church we had left, we were told, "Welcome to the Episcopal Church! We do not leave our brains outside." by a lovely lady who has been a member here for some 70 years. We knew we were home.
FWIW
jimB
Where is the icon from? Do you know the artist?
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