Sermon: Doubts

          In today's gospel, we see Thomas, the twin, doubting the existence of Christ through resurrection, without physically seeing Him, feeling the holes in His hands, and the gash in his side.  Prove it! is often a taunt from childhood days when someone has done you wrong, but you have no evidence to back up your word.  And Thomas, just on seeing the risen Lord, realizes that all his doubts are settled; his faith is secure and solid.  "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

          But doubt is a very important part of life as a human.  Because of doubt, we have the scientific method – prove to me that you can repeat the same experiment and achieve the same results.  That method has gone on to achieve scientific and technological wonders.  At some point, however, doubt enters the picture.  The question becomes, just because we can do something, should we?  That's a question of ethics.  And where do your ethics come from?  Is there a line you don't want to cross?  Why?

          Now the first lesson this morning actually ended before the portion that really fascinates me.  Luke wrote, "When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time. Then he said to them [the council members], 'Fellow Israelites, consider carefully what you propose to do to these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him; but he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and disappeared. After him Judas the Galilean rose up at the time of the census and got people to follow him; he also perished, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case, I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone; because if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them—in that case you may even be found fighting against God!'"

          In this instance, doubt works the other way – we can doubt them, but ignore them, and either they will fail, as all others have failed, or they speak the truth, that Jesus the Nazarean was the Son of God, and they have the power of God with them.  If it is the former, then they will fail and all who might have been interested in following them will also fail.  We will have a better society as a result.  But if it is the latter, then perhaps we should withhold judgment and thus claim righteousness.

          Withholding judgment about things is not a new concept:  many thought a western trip would not find a passage to the New World – and while Christopher Columbus missed the continent, he did find the right route.  The idea of getting to the moon was doubted in its entirety – just like the Wright Brothers decades before a manned flight.  But the people making these decisions with certitude actually accomplished it, despite all the doubts.  But would they have advanced as far as they had without doubts?  Where is the challenge in doing something where you couldn't fail?

          There's an interesting movie that came out in 2008 called "Doubt".  To provide definitive answers to the questions raised in this story would defeat the purpose of the writing of it. Thus, as soon as we think we have the characters figured out they provide a twist to their personalities that cause us to shift our conclusions.

          The plot of the movie is a bit convoluted, but, it is set in 1964, just after Vatican II, but still meeting resistance to the changes to come.  A Catholic elementary school has just admitted its first Black student, a 12-year-old boy transferred from public school. The principal, a rigid disciplinarian nun, and the liberal parish priest are both concerned for the boy's welfare in a predominantly Irish/Italian parish. The principal becomes convinced that the priest has, or is planning to have, an improper relationship with the child and is determined to force the priest to leave the school. A third compassionate person is the boy's mother, who has another point of view. The fourth person is a young teacher who is concerned but confused by the conflict between the nun and the priest.

          But one of the lines in a sermon by the priest is, "Doubt can be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty."  Think about that concept.  Doubt helped to create the Protestant Revolution.  Doubt created questions that have led to every conspiracy theory in existence.  Think about that dichotomy.

          Think about how "reasonable doubt" is built into our criminal justice system.  And it is that reasonable doubt that Gamaliel requested the Pharisaic Council to exercise with regard to the disciples.  It won't cause them harm in keeping an open mind, but might cause severe harm to potentially set themselves against God.

          So, while Doubting Thomas tends to get a bad rap because he has seen and come to believe and those who come to believe without seeing are blessed, doubt can play a rather important role in our lives.  We just have to know when the right time to trust and have faith is.

          One night a house caught fire and a young boy was forced to flee to the roof. The father stood on the ground below with outstretched arms, calling to his son, "Jump! I'll catch you." He knew the boy had to jump to save his life. All the boy could see, however, was flame, smoke, and blackness. As can be imagined, he was afraid to leave the roof. His father kept yelling: "Jump! I will catch you." But the boy protested, "Daddy, I can't see you." The father replied, "But I can see you and that's all that matters."

          Our Father sees us, and guides us.  The Holy Spirit is ever moving with us, and sometimes, doubt is a tool in the Holy Spirit's toolbox.  Know when to listen, when to trust, when to obey – and know when to doubt, to question, before moving forward.  Trust that guidance to be present, and listen for the voice of God.