In his blog post at The High Calling Blogs, Gordon Atkinson offers some interesting thoughts on his “…slowly evolving, personal rule of life and faith,” as it pertains to being a “doubting Christian”. Have a read and leave a comment if the Spirit moves you.
I’m a natural-born skeptic. I find it hard to believe in things unless I can be convinced of their reality with proof or at least very clear evidence. C.S. Lewis pegged me with his observation that some people will commit to nothing rather than end up being wrong about anything. If professor Lewis hadn’t died the year I was born, I might think he had been reading my diary… Read the entire post here.
I have followed Gordon as a writer for many years. Here he is speaking to people who have a special place in my heart as a pastor. You will notice that his audience are those who are attempting to work through the issue of doubt within a Christian framework.
To those of us who have grown up in a doctrinally driven church setting, the first three prescriptions seem off the mark. I argue that for someone who finds himself or herself in doubt, these are precisely the steps that can bring wholeness to a love of our Lord Jesus. I would have suggested a spiritual director to help one engage doubt in a Christian construct.
I am happy to take questions on this topic.
May God bless you,
Fr. Greg