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Enjoy Life, Enjoy God


Dale Patterson

DOUBT

July 27, 2010

 Many of us are troubled by a host of doubts. Somehow doubt has been judged a character defect in some Christian circles, as opposed to a human reality.
Thomas answered him "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." - John 20:28,29 NRS
Thomas struggles to believe in the resurrected Jesus until he touches and sees him in the flesh, and here he does. Yet Jesus does not rebuke him, or scold Thomas. Instead he acknowledges that there are those who doubt. But he then turns to blessing, and I risk putting words in Jesus' mouth: "Thomas, you have the privilege of touching me, but others will have no such opportunity. They will be blessed by hearing the stories of others, by following the Holy Spirit's wooing unto faith. And they will be blessed and rejoice."
Doubt is not judged, but Jesus confronts us with a reality: blessing is not found in the demand for the security of all the facts, that doesn't even require faith! But here again we see the blessing of "leaning into" faith.
Joyfully,

Dale Patterson