Keeping Our Center ~ Day 31

 “Skepticism” was the second word I used to define my call back in seminary (which, by the way, was about 26 years ago – yikes!). Let’s just say I’ve always made a great Doubting Thomas or Devil’s Advocate, because I’m skeptical (and often cynical) about so much related to church and religion. I’m not saying this is a good thing, it just is. I think it’s inherited from my father who was an atheist when I was growing up. He was always arguing about the existence of God. (He’s no longer an atheist, but that’s another story.)

The good thing about being skeptical about God and religion is that I find myself asking lots of questions and continually searching for answers. There is a concept in theology called the “hermeneutics of suspicion.” This essentially means that when interpreting a text, one must look deeper than face value, challenge the cultural assumptions we make, question what might be going on, and seek to determine whether it happened at all or is a story told for a purpose. You get the gist. I love this sort of thing! (Weirdo… I know… I have no idea why I like this stuff.)

Anyway, the week after Easter we always hear the story of the disciple Thomas who refused to believe that Jesus had risen until he could “put his finger in the nail marks and [his] hand into the spear wound” (John 20:25). As the story goes, Jesus met him right where he was in his skepticism, and without judgment offered Thomas the opportunity to touch him. It was this graceful action that enabled Thomas to move forward, exclaiming, “My Savior and my God!”

I’ve learned that we’re not turned away because of our skepticism. To the contrary, through our skepticism, the Divine finds ways to help us to grow. There is nothing wrong with being skeptical as long as we hang in there and keep engaging this crazy, exciting, wonderfully absurb spiritual journey.

Love & Light!

Kaye