No faith without questioning

 ‘…peace be with you…’ (John 20:21)

From John 20:19-31 (Year A: Easter 2)

Twice Jesus declares ‘peace be with you’ before ‘breathing’ on his friends the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins. So often we strive for the higher gifts of wisdom, courage and healing. Yet, to receive graciously that peace which surpasses all is the necessary first step.  It is more than just a question of sitting in the twilight, eyes closed and meditating on one’s breath or a word or a blank screen. It is about being at peace with others before entering into that deep inner peace where healing and forgiveness break out. But, which comes first? To be at peace we must savour something of the Holy Spirit who is already dwelling within us? It’s a two-way flow – from openness to the Spirit and others to inner peace and back again. The key dynamo is trust or faith. There can be no faith without serious questioning. Without the challenge of constructive doubt there can be no deepening of faith which sees doubt cast into a pool of trust where it serves to strengthen and not undermine trust. Ultimately trust is evidence of things unseen and the substance of things hoped for (Hebrews 11.1).  My favourite definition of faith ….