Doubt

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Doubt

Question   Faith

Impatiently   Waiting   Fulfillment

Is He the One

Answer

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Matthew 11:2 to 3

John the Baptist sent some of his followers to question Jesus. John was in prison at the time. 

He told them to ask Jesus, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we be looking for someone else?"

Reflection

It is so hard to be certain about anything. Someone tells us something and it can sound accurate and impressive. Then we do a little research, and we find it is just one of those conspiracy theories that mislead people so easily.

No wonder people have so many doubts today. There is, however, a long history of doubt. When we read the scriptures, we see our first parents, Adam and Eve, trying to deceive God and hide from God. One of the twelve apostles, St. Thomas, even has the word "doubting" attached to his name!

It seems like John the Baptist has some doubts about his cousin, Jesus, in our reading from Matthew. Some commentators mention that this might have been a tactic by John to get his followers to focus on Jesus. He might have felt that the response of Jesus would draw some of his reluctant disciples to join Jesus.

In many ways doubt can help us to deepen our relationship with Jesus. Our questions can lead us to find answers that help us to see a clearer path to follow. All of a sudden, we get a new insight into what Jesus was really saying and not just what we thought He meant. The blindness is lifted.

Those answers can lead us to a much deeper and stronger faith. I have often encountered adult learners who will tell me how frustrated they were because they were never encouraged to question or were made to feel badly if they did raise a question or expressed a doubt.

I have also seen the opposite when students raise questions, and we get into a great discussion that illuminates an issue that the students were struggling with for a long time. I love that look of peace that students get when they see a way forward from something that they found puzzling or disturbing.

I think the key is to be patient with ourselves and to realize it can take some time to have our deepest questions answered. That waiting is one of the major themes of the Season of Advent. We wait patiently for Jesus to speak to our doubts and to lead us by His Light.

When we take our time to really listen to Jesus, we can feel fulfilled and energized to begin anew. We know that Jesus is with us as we doubt and wants to help us resolve those doubts. 

The question that John poses is a question for us as well. Who do you think Jesus is? Is Jesus just a nice person who left us with some inspiring teachings or is Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity?

We have a choice.

How would you answer?

1. What are some of your doubts about faith?

2. When you get a doubt, does it upset you or motivate you to find a way to resolve it?

3. Can you think of a time when you found an answer to a doubt that helped you to feel at peace?

3. Is Jesus the Messiah or are you looking for another?

4. What do you feel as you contemplate Kathy's photo?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)