Now the eleven remaining disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had arranged. When they saw the risen Jesus, they worshiped him; but some doubted.
(Matthew 28v16-17)
But some doubted.
Is that bad? Why is doubt considered a negative value, especially when it comes to following Jesus? The answer is that most people seem to believe that doubt is the opposite of faith or belief. But it’s not.
Faith is a tricky word that used in different contexts can have different meanings (even the ancient antecedents of the word don't help much).
One great doubter wrote:
‘Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the confidence in things not seen’ (Heb 11v1).
In essence, then, faith/belief is trust—trusting something that is contrary to the typical, evident, or experiential.
If faith is trust, then the opposite of faith isn't doubt—it’s certainty. To be absolutely certain of something, whether by scientific and sensory evidence, experience, or even irrational conviction, is NOT faith or belief or trust.
Silly books and essays that try to ‘prove’ this or that about the bible (be it Noah’s ark or the empty tomb) are misguided and, in the end, are void of the most important thing: faith. If they prove it, it’s no longer belief. It’s certainty.
Is the story of Noah’s ark historically factual? I doubt it. But I believe the story of God’s deliverance and promises of hope are true and have significant meaning today. Was the tomb really, actually empty that first Easter morning? I doubt it. But I believe that Jesus was (and is) experienced in a very real way even after his death on the cross…a presence that is critical to our faith community today.
So, to say I believe in Jesus is to say that based on my experience as a member of a community of Jesus followers, my reading of Jesus’ teachings, and my encounter with the ancient witness of his earliest students, I believe that:
Jesus’ story is true (but not all if it is necessarily factual)
Jesus’ teaching offers a compelling vision of God and humanity and community
Jesus challenges me to change my life to be more like that vision
…and share that challenge with others
None if this is certain. I just...believe it.
To be a person of faith is not to suspend disbelief, or check your intellect at the door, or deny science or history or experience. Quite the contrary—to believe one must, by definition, doubt.
If you are a fan of the television series X-Files, you will doubtless remember a poster that hung in SA Mulder’s office—a photograph of a UFO hovering over a skyline with the bold words:
I WANT TO BELIEVE
Me too.