Jude

Verse 22: "Be merciful to those who doubt."

I was talking to a friend last week about faith. This is a friend from outside the church that I've known since before I became a pastor. I asked him why he didn't go to church. He gave the usual response, he is busy and lazy and blah blah blah...

I followed by saying "so it has nothing to do with faith, you just have better things to do on a Sunday?"

He said "Well, I have a hard time believing, and not to offend you, but I have always thought faith was for kind of weak-minded people."

I told him that he hadn't offended me and that, I believe, the only weak-minded people are those who have stopped struggling with the mysteries of the universe. I challenged him to keep struggling with it and not to give up just because he doesn't understand. Then I confessed that I don't really understand either.

And that's ok.

Faith is not something we figure out, it is something we experience. The story we tell is a hard one to believe.

- God spoke and the world appeared. (I can do that with pizza, but it takes 30 minutes)

- The Red Sea parted for Moses. (Even if the sea parted, wouldn't everyone get stuck in the mud at the bottom of the sea?)

- Jesus was born of a virgin. (Joseph isn't the only to question that.)

- Jesus died and was raised from the dead and we are all forgiven of our sins. (Talk about a productive three day weekend.)

It is a hard story to believe, so it is understandable that people have trouble believing. This text urges us to show mercy to those who doubt instead of condemning them to hell.

I believe in God because I have experienced God, mostly through the love of others. We cannot tell the story in such a way that it makes perfect sense, but we can love.

Maybe someone will meet Jesus when they met you.