For Your Benefit...

• If you need your picture taken for the new photo directory, see Chuck Barnett today or next Sunday.
• The monthly kid's singing is this afternoon at 4:25.
• Cymethian Boyd got a good report from her doctor. They think that the headaches are cluster headaches that can be controlled by medication.

Calendar

• Sept 9-12 — Charlestown Rd.
• Sept 9-14 — Kenwood, Crestwood, Hebron Ln, Overland (Lawrenceburg).
• Sept 16-21 — Hodgenville, Memphis (IN), Galena (IN), Lakeview (Columbus, IN).

A newly released book on Mother Theresa (Mother Theresa: Come Be My Light , by Brian Kolodiejchuk, published by Doubleday) paints a startling portrait of this renowned religious celebrity — startling because its portrait emerges in shades of black and gray.

This apparently unassuming and dedicated worker was troubled for most of her adult life with nagging doubts about her faith and God. She often wrestled with deep depression. The new book consists largely of correspondence between Theresa and several of her superiors and confessors. Although she had requested that all her personal correspondence be destroyed, her superiors kept them, under the apparent assumption that these documents might prove beneficial to others.

Not surprisingly, atheists have seized upon this as proof that she was a fraud, or at least as evidence of their own views. Says Christopher Hitchens, an outspoken atheist and critic of Mother Teresa, "She was no more exempt from the realization that religion is a human fabrication than any other person, and that her attempted cure was more and more professions of faith could only have deepened the pit that she had dug for herself." (from "The Secret Life of Mother Teresa", by David Van Biema, in Time, September 3, 2007) He compares her to hard-line Communists who, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, could not square the fact of Communism's failures with their own confidence in it as an ideal. He says that this is what happened to her. Some would say she was complete fraud, living a life she did not believe in.

Regardless of her personal or theological flaws, the "Saint of the Gutters" probably has far more sympathizers than detractors. Any Christian who has ever had a moment (or many moments) of doubt can immediately sympathize. The idea that believers never have doubts is without foundation in experience and Biblical thought. While it is not surprising that an atheist would think this, it is quite surprising that many Christians do.

Doubt is a very old problem. From the depths of his physical and emotional torment Job declared, "Though He slay me, I will hope in Him" (Job 13:15). In other places, he flat-out accuses God of being unfair and of rewarding wickedness. This is faith and hope?
At times, Moses preferred death to the whining and rebellion of the Israelites. (See Exodus 17:4; 32:32; 33:15). The faithful have their doubts.

From the beginning, Jeremiah was a reluctant spokesman for the Lord (Jeremiah 1:6). In one particularly exasperating moment he protested, "O Lord, You have deceived me and I was deceived; You have overcome me and prevailed" (Jeremiah 20:7). A blunt translation renders it, "First, you seduced me; then you raped me." Harsh words from a man of faith.

In reply to vicious attacks upon his character and apostleship, Paul admitted, "we are persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body" (2 Corinthians 4:9-12). These are not the words of someone who never experienced trouble or doubt.

On the night of his betrayal, Jesus confessed, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death" (Matthew 26:38). In the Garden he asked that if it were possible, He might not be required to drink the cup of suffering (Matthew 26:39). On the cross he cried, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" (Matthew 26:46)

It is obvious that faith, struggle, and doubt often exist side-by-side in the hearts of the devout. It is not that faith is swallowed up by doubt, but that doubt is kept at bay by faith. Doubt comes as we attempt to sort through the endless contradictions and conundrums we face in life. Faith is the mechanism by which we sort through these issues and find suitable answers.

Two things are worth noting from the recent revelations about "The Saint of the Gutters". First, in spite of her doubts, she kept working. In the nearly half century of her work in Calcutta, she never stopped working, often at the expense of her health. When we are nagged by doubts, what do we do? Perhaps the simplest answer is, "Keep working." Paul said that what matters is, "faith working through love" (Galatians 5:6). He urged his readers to "not lose heart in doing good" and to seek such opportunities (Galatians 6:9f). The Hebrews writer reminds us of the importance of obedience to the Son (Hebrews 5:9) and of good works as evidence of God's will in our lives (Hebrews 13:15f, 20f).

Second, in one letter she noted that, "I accept not in my feelings — but with my will, the Will of God — I accept His will." That is a crucial distinction. Doubt is sometimes fostered when we evaluate on the basis of emotion, and not on the basis of will. Frankly, there are many times when we don't "feel like" being a Christian. But, we keep doing what we know is right. This may be what John meant: "We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight" (1 John 3:19-22).

Doubt is sometimes a necessary if unwelcome companion to faith. But it can be kept in its place when we remember, Paul's powerful insight: "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you" (2 Corinthians 4:7-12).