Love and pancakes, Faith and doubt

We celebrated a special all-campus break yesterday with creative renditions of 'I Corinthians 13'. Lots of fun. Kendall and I won 'the most romantic' rendition - hmmmm..... It probably fit best the category "most interactive" since we encouraged folks to hug each other each time they heard the word "love". From the front of the room, the view was enjoyable. People lined up to 'catch' someone in a hug at the next moment, and at one moment of silence I heard one professor say to another, "You're next, Jake!". Ah, good fun.

I enjoy celebrations so much. They're truly the stuff life's made of. The next celebration I anticipate is Pancake Tuesday. That's coming up next week! I've never really fallen for the Mardi Gras celebrations, probably because in my experience the pancakes came first. I grew up in a small town in Ontario with British roots, Dorchester. And in the fog of my memory, I recall an outdoor celebration of Pancake Tuesday at the community centre. Somehow in my memory, we were even eating the pancakes out side Looking out at the snow right now, it seems hard to believe that memory.... I recall people flipping pancakes on huge griddles, and eating pancakes, sausage and syrop outside on paper plates. Probably we were inside the hall.

The point is, I remember eating pancakes in the larger Dorchester community. What's more, I remember that my family picked up the habit, and most years we had pancakes. I don't know if my mom and dad have kept up that tradition, but somehow it stuck with me.

At Calvin, I hosted a pancake open house - I flipped dozens of pancakes for my friends. I've probably served pancakes every year since I left home.... and next week will be no exception. If you live locally, you're welcome to our apartment sometime after 6:30 for some pancakes!

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Thinking biblically: This evening after supper, Kendall and I read from the letter of James, chapter 1 and I was struck by a number of things in the passage.

James 1:6-7 But ask in faith, never doubting,
for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea,
driven and tossed by the wind;
for the doubter,
being double-minded and unstable in every way,
must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

I had a bit of a revelation about this passage, which has quite frankly bothered me for a long time. I noticed the context. Allow me to explain.

In our day and age, we still read the language of faith and doubt through lenses tinted by Luther and by rationalism/modernism. We read 'faith' and a concept of rational/mental assent to intellectual doctrine and/or dogma... with certainty! We correlate 'belief'. Consequently, 'doubt' means the lack of assent, or lack of certainty regarding these doctrines and dogmas. Having questions about God, the church, the nature of salvation, (etc.) is equated with lack of faith - and sometimes this passage is thrown up as dis-incentive for asking such questions.

Doubters are double-minded, unstable, and outside the generosity of God. (outside of grace?)

Having a long (and I think healthy) history of doubt, I dislike this interpretation. I am certain that doubt is a healthy part of an active faith life - questioning is frequently a sincere and authentic part of the search for truth in discipleship.

But tonight, as I said, I had a revelation. This verse is not in Galatians, or Romans. This verse is in the letter to James! James is so perfectly clear that faith is not mental assent, but faith is lived out in a life of justice. Faith is lived out in action!

When James is talking about doubt - James is talking about those whose actions do not match their words (or their mental assertions?). He's talking more about hypocrisy or empty living than about questioning. If we look further at verses 22ff we see that's where he's going even in this chapter

James 1:22-27 But be doers of the word,
and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.
For if any are hearers of the word and not doers,
they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror;
for they look at themselves and, on going away,
immediately forget what they were like.
But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere,
being not hearers who forget but doers who act
-- they will be blessed in their doing.

If any think they are religious,
and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts,
their religion is worthless.
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this:
to care for orphans and widows in their distress,
and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

And that, my friends, is the heart of the matter.
Thanks for hearing me out on this one....