Exploring
Faith
“For
many people in our world the opposite of faith is doubt. The goal,
then, within this understanding, is to eliminate doubt. But faith and
doubt are not opposites. Doubt is often a sign that your faith has a
pulse, that it's alive and well and exploring and searching. Faith
and doubt aren't opposites; they are, it turns out, excellent dance
partners.”
Rob Bell
In the run up to
Valentine's Day, I want to explore the gifts that Paul spoke about in
his letter to the church at Corinth—faith, hope and love. I woke
early this morning thinking about faith. What exactly does it mean?
Does it change over a lifetime? And, if it changes does that mean you
no longer have it? I can only speak for myself.
We begin life
with the same religious beliefs (or lack thereof) as our parents—here in the deep
South, that is most often Christianity. We go through childhood on
auto-pilot, talking the talk and walking the walk of the basic tenets
of whatever church our family belongs to. We learn the prayers, sing
the music, and that becomes the fabric from which we are cut.
Somewhere in the throes of adolescence, we begin to question. And
when we question, we feel guilt, as though Almighty God is listening
to our private thoughts and planning our just punishment. For many of us
the “fear of God” is a very real thing, and it's enough to send
our doubt packing.
Some of us go through our
entire lives following in the footsteps of our parents and
grandparents, remaining in the same faith tradition, sometimes even
the same church. That works for some folks. Others of us take a
diverging path through the woods—the one that Frost described as
less traveled. Our questioning leads us deeper into the forest, and
sometimes involves us in some very dark and tangled undergrowth. But,
eventually, most of us find our way. We come out on the other side
with something that is informed by our original faith tradition, but
expanded by personal experience. Our faith is sometimes greater than
ever before, but not in a traditional sense of espousing a certain
set of rules and traditions. And it is not faith in external factors,
but in internal ones.
Questioning, exploring,
seeking are not evidence of lack of faith—they indicate a desire to
go deeper. The rules and tenets are the tip of the iceberg of faith,
and all the rest resides in the subterranean depths. It is explored
and mined with the shovel of genuine interest and curiosity. Having
any relationship requires at least two entities. And, having a
relationship with the Divine is no different. Our desire to challenge
and analyze what we have been taught shows that we are engaged and
have a desire to know this Other in all its facets.
I agree with Rob Bell
that doubt and questioning are indicators that our faith has a strong
and steady heartbeat. It is alive and well and seeking an authentic
expression.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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