Doubt and Faith - Part 2

Share this post

Welcome back! Or if you only just finished the first part of this blog post, welcome to Part 2! This second part might better be called “Addressing 'Doubting Thomases' in the Classroom”.

There was a lot of certainty as I grew up in the church: doubt is a sin. It’s just wrong; to doubt means I’ve lost my faith and need to get saved again. But being told that I was faithless or just needed to have faith never seemed to take the doubts away because, I think, doubt is a very human thing. In fact, we are taught to be doubters. We live in a difficult world, and it is a world full of lies and near-truths. To survive we need to question and doubt.

So, what does the Sunday school teacher do when a doubter shows up in the classroom (or, when doubt shows up in his or her own mind)?

After his resurrection, Jesus showed up to the disciples minus Thomas. When Thomas heard about it, he said, “I doubt that!”

Then Jesus showed up again, and this time Thomas was present. But Jesus didn’t rebuke Thomas; rather, he invited Thomas to an even closer inspection of the Lord’s presence: “Here are the wounds in my hands and feet. Here, place your hand in my lance-pierced side.”

Thomas responded, “My Lord and my God!”

Here’s what to do when doubters show up in the classroom—and I can almost guarantee you they are there whether they open their mouths or not: Don’t shut them up. Allow them to speak their doubts. Sometimes simply saying something out loud produces amazing results; I hear what I’m thinking for the first time and realize that I don’t really doubt what I said. Having my doubts heard can be such a powerful and affirming experience: “I am heard” often results in “I matter; I have something to contribute.”

Many times doubts grow out of a personal struggle to understand. Doubts can be frivolous, of course, but they can also be powerful statements about something someone is trying to figure out. Jesus, Paul, and the others whose words and actions are recorded in God’s Word are not always easy to understand. Sometimes they ask us to really stretch our minds into uncomfortable shapes and places. Hiding the feelings that result can be damaging.

As a teacher, use language such as this: I wonder why you think or feel that way? What is it about this passage that specifically bothers you? Could you tell us more about that? I wonder if anyone else in the class has the same question?

Jesus did not ignore Thomas. Jesus showed up for Thomas. The last time Thomas had seen Jesus, Jesus was dead. Now, suddenly, Thomas was told that Jesus was alive. What did Thomas feel? Anger? Jealousy? Fear? Remember, Thomas was not the only doubter here; no one believed Mary when she said the tomb was empty.

What do we take from this? Show up, pay attention, and provide a hospitable space for your students to express and wrestle with their doubts.

Arthur Kelly

Arthur Kelly has served as a teacher and administrator at Warner Pacific University, in publishing and editorial work at Warner Press, and in the national offices of Church of God Ministries. He is a reader, journaler, coffee drinker, lover of conversation, and eager to engage students and others who understand life as a place for lifelong learning, following Jesus, and gaining wisdom.

July 26, 2018 | View: 1577 | Categories: Church, Christian Life