Doubt Is The Threshold of Beleif

When I was in seminary, a professor I had stated loudly and clearly, and I am sure these aren't his words, although, he was smart enough that they could be, "The opposite of faith isn't doubt! The opposite of faith is fear, doubt, rather, is the threshold of belief."

He went on to say other eloquent words that were lost on me because of the profoundness of those first few words.

Last Sunday was "Doubting Thomas" Sunday, well, not really Doubting Thomas Sunday, it was actually 2 Easter, and the Gospel was about Thomas and his supposed doubt, although I don't know if it is so much doubt as healthy skepticism. I had an interesting train of thought though, that I had never really thought of come to me while I was preparing to possibly give a sermon, which I didn't end up giving.

Usually Thomas gets a bad rap because he didn't believe the disciples when they told him Jesus showed up, I mean come on, would you believe a bunch scared shaking blithering idiots if they told you someone walked through the door, someone who had apparently died right in front of your eyes? No, I didn't think so.

Anyway, I thought to myself, we should be grateful to Thomas for having the nerve to say screw you guys, your lying, you all are a bunch of losers, get with the program here folks! Grateful I say, because look what happened after he said that.

Jesus shows up, and is quite nice, and makes Thomas touch his nasty bloody wounds, I suppose some people might see that in a negative light, I mean if you have to touch open wounds because you don't believe something someone told you I can see how people might think that was more of a punishment than a blessing, but let's be grateful, cause out of his "doubt" comes the line, blessed are those who believe and have not yet seen.

If Thomas had taken the Disciples on blind faith, where would we be?

Interesting question for the day.
Be well,
A+

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Beautiful Impartiality. Easter Day Sermon

“Then that little man in black there, he says women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him. If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.” So spoke Sojourner Truth in December 1851, just 5 years before this parish was founded, at a Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio. She began her brief and eloquent speech with the words, “Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter.” There has been a lot of racket in our world, in our Church in our lives. Something is out of kilter that is for sure. Each year during Holy Week, all the clergy in the Diocese are invited to attend a service of the reaffirmation of our
Read more

A Deeper Crisis for the Episcopal Church in Minnesota???

I am ever the optimist, I always assume that people are operating out of the general good of their hearts, for the betterment of whatever it is they might be working or advocating for. I am also not one to hold a grudge, and will jump on board with the decisions made by a body that they believe are what that particular body needs. So, of course, when I was on the losing end of just about every resolution presented at convention I was able to look forward to what would come next and prepare myself to support the decisions I need to support as we move forward. Tonight I put all my eggs into the basket to try to get a coadjutor process passed as the way we would proceed in calling a new bishop. We missed that by three votes, granted, a majority of the Diocese wanted to have a coadjutor, but because of a motion to have the vote by orders it lost, clergy passed it 86-59 and the laity narrowly missed it by a vote of 114 to 117. Makes for some nail biting prime time entertainment, let me t
Read more

An interesting Observation

I was sitting on the pew out in front of the Church on 4th Avenue waiting for my lovely and beloved wife to pick me up. Our other car was in the shop and due to rushed-ness we had to just drop me off at Church today. Anyway, I was sitting out there for about 15 minutes waiting for Sara to come and pick me up and I noticed something very odd. I didn't keep a number tally in my head, but I bet half of the people walking toward me crossed the street, not in the crosswalk at the corner, but at some other point before arriving at where I was sitting. Now, I was wearing my collar and sitting in the pew reading a book. The pew has been used frequently I have noticed by many passersby, I even saw a young man take off one of the round parts of the pew, it had kind of fallen off, so no longer attached, but just stare at it and look it over as he walked on. So the pew has not been an intimidating thing, it was definitely me and my collar, and no, I didn't smell, because many others w
Read more