The Power of Doubt
If you listened attentively to the Gospel for the Third Sunday of Advent, you might have picked up on a little doubt in John the Baptist’s question about Jesus: “Are you the one to come or should we look for another.” John is locked up in prison and things are not going well for him. If that were you, wouldn’t you ask the same question? I know I have. Doubt affects the lives of most of us at one time or another. And for those of us who profess our faith, doubt can be a painful experience. Now, I am not talking about having faith that your car will start in the morning. I’m talking about the kind of faith that assures you that there is never a time Jesus is not with you, especially in times of doubt. Faith was never meant to absolve us of the fact that we have emotions, we have feelings, that we are human.
Here are several things to remember about the reality of doubt. First and foremost is that doubt does not equal a lack of belief. As a matter of fact, doubt can be the steppingstone to a greater faith. Remember the words of “doubting Thomas” after he expressed doubt that the Lord had indeed risen: “my Lord and my God.”
Doubt and unbelief are two different things. Real unbelief is a complete rejection of faith. Doubt is the state in which one might question faith but not to the point of unbelief. The real danger of increasing doubt in an individual is that it can eventually lead to a level of unbelief. Doubt is NOT sin, but for the person of faith, it must be addressed. Don’t stop going to Mass simply because you have doubt about some aspect of our faith. To do so is to deprive yourself of the grace needed to emerge victorious over doubt. We must have confidence in the power of all the Sacraments.
Can doubt be healthy for the believer? Certainly! It is doubt that moves us to want to know more, to dive deeper into the issue we struggle with. Mother Teresa herself spoke of her “Dark Night of the Soul.” In other words, her doubts. In times of doubt, however, it is necessary to remember that not all truths can be fully understood. Lack of complete understanding of a tenet or aspect of our Catholic faith is NOT doubt. Those are the times we need grace to better understand and grow.
Victory over sin goes a long way to ease the doubts we might have. The healing we receive in the Sacrament of Reconciliation gives us greater understanding and helps us work through our doubt.
Rest assured, as long as we pursue truth, doubt should never be something to fear. For wasn’t it Jesus Himself who said, “I am the Way, the TRUTH and the Light.”
Deacon John Murrell