Why Do You
Doubt?
Tony E
Dillon-Hansen
Last updated: 8/13/17
9:15 AM
A Sermon based
upon Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28 and Psalm 105: 1-6, 16-22, 45b • Romans
10:5-15 • Matthew
14:22-33
Will you
pray with me? Let God guide our senses, our hearts and our ears to
receive the lesson given to us. May the words of my mouth and the
meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight O Lord, our Rock, Our
Redeemer.
I
In the
years leading to 2000,
there were
many claims of impending doom and rapture.
When the
turn of the millennium came,
many
churches held special prayer sessions
around the
“hour” of foretold demise.
(Given
Earth’s rotation, I wonder which hour that was supposed to happen.)
We are told
stories of crowded prayer vigils in preparation
for the
minute the clock strikes twelve.
Tickets
were even sold for seating in vestibules and choir lofts
because
“even during the rapture there is preferred seating.”
Then,
nothing happened
except time
moved to the next day, year and more.
Did you
have doubt?
Someone
claims to have “found faith.”
(we hear
this especially around scandals)
Maybe, they
were using good rhetoric.
Maybe, a
moment of despair revealed something to them.
Would you
have doubt?
Were you
that person?
Have you
doubted yourself?
Why do you
doubt?
What did
you learn from your doubts?
When
science (and most everyone else agree)
that
climate change is happening,
you can
doubt these assertions.
You are
welcome to challenge science
with your
theories for public consideration.
At the same
time,
the prudent
thing might be to consider
--how are
you going to adapt.
You can
challenge the news reports
about the
recent Virginia protests-turned-violent.
What is
clear is that racism is unfortunately alive.
How do we
deal with these powerful forces?
As a
taekwondo instructor,
we teach
how to break boards.
This is not
just to make fire kindling
but to show
progress of techniques.
Invariably,
students will look at the first boards
with
considerable doubt
about their
ability to break it.
Yet somehow,
they muster courage to try
(some with
great success and astonishment.)
I consider these lessons about methods
for myself,
as the “master”, about overcoming doubt.
These are
truly moments
where the students
teach me
some unique
ways to overcome doubt, fear and challenges.
Our lesson
today brings us to the Sea of Galilee.
A storm has
stranded our disciples in fear,
and Jesus
does miraculous things here to calm our disciples.
Now, if you
were Peter,
would you tried
to walk with Jesus on the water?
Would you
have even got out of the boat?
Yet, in the
calm of Jesus and panic of Peter,
we are
asked a simple question:
why do you
doubt?
Jesus’s
question extends to
why people
doubt Church, God, Jesus or religion all together.
Incidentally,
I have been writing a piece about this subject
and how the
Church has played a role.
Doubt includes
uncertainty, skepticism or loss of trust.
This disbelief
and doubt may be due to inexperience
or due to a
difficult experience.
I
challenge, however,
to see that
doubt is not necessarily a bad thing and is intertwined with faith.
II
For our
purposes,
let us
consider what has turned people away from Church.
Perhaps,
there is a simple matter of convenience with the Church,
but people
lost the necessity of church.
We know
that faith is personal and close to our hearts.
How one
person constructs their faith
will be
different than others.
Thus, faith
is uniquely personal.
Faith helps
us to be curious of the mysteries around us.
Similarly,
there are personal motives that drive doubt.
Healthy doubt
also spawns curiosity and learning
because it
challenges us to question:
to keep
thinking.
Thus, there
is a question of how the Church,
as a
representative of Christ and God in our lives,
play into
faith and doubt.
For some
people,
something in
their life with Church,
caused them
to question
the
congregation, traditions or messages delivered.
For some,
there were real, unsettling experiences of being
abused or torn
down by the Church (or by the people therein.)
That is
because
when you
are told that you are too young (or too old) to understand;
when religious
leaders attack your personal dignity;
when elders
tell you that your family is not valid;
or when you
are accused (made guilty) for things you never did;
you might
develop questions.
You might
doubt, or more.
I have witnessed the pain of such
indignation
and what this can do to people.
While religion has encouraged some
family relationships,
quite simply, instead of being the beacon of Christ’s Truth:
(e.g. with
tenets of
welcoming,
compassion, justice, peace, forgiveness and hope)
religion
has been responsible for breaking families and tormenting people
in favor of
behaviors that soiled Christ’s message and exiled people.
Truly,
Church that says only certain people can participate
is forgetting
that community has many parts
and is not
really sharing Christ’s teaching.
Where the
Church was to be the embodiment of Christ’s Truth,
pain
inflicted upon people tells a different story.
When Church
leaders and elders
crush your
human dignity,
that will
impact feelings about God and Church.
The virtues
of the institution come into question.
Inevitably,
some question the very nature of God and Jesus.
Perhaps, those leaders and elders are
ones
that need to consider their own doubts.
There is an
obvious,
tangible
response to an awful experience,
which few
could deny.
The message
of hope gets lost.
Perhaps,
those leaders were lost.
Hopefully,
we continue to have healthy doubt
rather than
stop discerning altogether.
The student
that attempts the board-break will find success more
than one
that never tries or quits.
A student
that studies, rather than refuses,
the social
issue or science can provide ways to adapt.
We are
reminded Christ teaches us to meet the powerful forces of bigotry, shame and
violence with love, peace, and hope.
That is
part of the board-break lesson because
doubt helps
us to question how we approach life
and to ultimately
overcome challenges.
We know the
Church and community
can do
better
than be
guided by disturbed hypocritical or indignant vendettas
that twist Christ’s
Truth.
We, the
Church, can encourage those that proclaim graces
the tenet’s
of Christ’s Truth
(salvation,
welcoming, forgiveness, hope, compassion, and peace)
should also
reveal that by actions,
not just words
alone.
While embracing
thoughtful questioning of Christ’s Truth,
the Church that
nurtures our beautiful, God-given uniqueness,
is when the
Church becomes offers a compelling case.
That is how
I came to be here today.
We can help
the Church to adopt a better job
of
demonstrating this Truth in actions and words
because
words, as well as deeds, can cut deep.
That is the
board-break challenge for the Church.
We can
remind the Church that it’s ok to doubt
--just
don’t stop evolving.
Thus, there
is hope through our doubt.
We can
“break” the proverbial “board” that hides Christ’s Truth.
You and I have
persevered,
learned to doubt
fogs of deceit and empty glitter.
No one can
shade that luminous Truth for long.
Our lessons
provide a great illustration of how perseverance,
through darkness
and doubt,
revealed that
luminous Truth waiting.
Joseph’s own
family conspired against Joseph,
ultimately
for being who he was.
His
brothers were ready to kill him:
then chose
to deport and to exile him.
Joseph had
reason to be demoralized and bitter.
Instead,
Joseph observed the path beset by viciousness,
but
followed the vision that God provided to him.
Even in the
darkest of despair,
there we
may observe God showing an opportunity:
your true
path.
Be assured
that God reveals ways through distortions and pain
to show us
a way forward, just like with Joseph.
Such may
not happen overnight.
Yet, give
God a chance like Joseph, and some amazing things can happen.
III
Joseph’s example,
of overcoming powerful forces as well as doubt,
to follow
God and to forgive
is one case
the Church might do well to study.
Just like
Joseph,
despite the
travesties around him,
and whether
you doubt, or question God,
someone is
still waiting to be there for you.
Jesus, by
example and words,
teaches
that forgiveness is from the heart,
and
ultimately,
Jesus is willing
to pull you out of water
and out of
harm
-- even when
you still doubt.
You may
doubt the claim for impending rapture
because
there is someone that is far more reliable.
Through
your doubt,
you learn
about yourself and your relationships:
with faith,
the Truth, God, your neighbors, and life.
Bitterness and jealousy are not needed,
but forgiveness and justice are.
We can be embodiments of Christ’s Truth now
and be the students that teach those teachers.
God made
you challenged, goofy, inquisitive and imperfect
because God
made you just the way you are:
beautiful
and authentic.
Anyone, or
any institution, that denies God working in beautiful you
may reveal the
little, actual faith they have.
The mystery
of God is bigger than our imagination,
and way
bigger than our fallibility.
From Romans,
“we all fall short” of the
perfection of Jesus.
Even then, we are merely an arm’s
reach towards perfect guidance.
The Christ ‘s
Truth endures.
No
distortions or family conspiracies can change the Truth.
Romans states,
“for everyone that calls on the Lord will be saved”
– tickets are not necessary.
Yes, our imperfections and doubt
remind us that we are fallible,
and there is one that is above
fallibility.
Even with our imperfections,
those gaps remind us that each of us
are beautiful, unique teachers
to help complete those gaps together.
We can use the example of Joseph and
the calm of Jesus
to show us the way past our
imperfections.
We do not have to be the family that exiled
one of our own.
This is because when we separate that
which is truly great in us from us,
then our arrogance ought to be
humbled towards forgiveness.
Instead, when our brothers, and sisters
see
the example of Christ message
revealed within us and our Church,
they, who found reason to leave,
may be given a more compelling reason
to return
and to reach beyond their doubt.
Yes, the Truth of Christ says:
We, all, are beloved God’s children,
with all our frailties, doubts, and
problems,
and we are to be welcomed to the
altar of life and embraced.
That is the Truth that Christ teaches
us,
and you need no doubt of this.
When we as a church,
a society,
or mere humble servants of God truly
welcome and truly forgive,
then we can lessen doubts
and teach the Church the power of
hope:
the power of the Truth.
Grace is revealed within every
Beloved child of God,
like you.
Yes, You and I can be the students
that teach the “masters.”
Thanks Be to God!
