“Faith in God is the cure for our frustration, anxiety, and stress”
The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, Guercino
Doubt
Let me meet you on the mountain, Lord,
Just once.
You wouldn't have to burn a whole bush.
Just a few smoking branches
And I would surely be ...your Moses.
Let me meet you on the water, Lord,
Just once.
It wouldn't have to be on White Rock Lake.
Just on a puddle after the annual Dallas rain
And I would surely be...your Peter.
Let me meet you on the road, Lord,
Just once.
You wouldn't have to blind me on North Central Expressway.
Just a few bright lights on the way to chapel
And I would surely be...your Paul.
Let me meet you, Lord,
Just once.
Anywhere. Anytime.
Just meeting you in the Word is so hard sometimes
Must I always be...your Thomas?
-Norman Shirk
Enduring the Hardships of Life
Every time we experience tragedy or hardship, whether on a personal level or on a global scale, the question is inevitably asked, “Where is God?” The answer of course is that God is here, with us, every moment of every day. We sometimes expect God to act like Superman, to swoop in and solve all of our problems. Our disappointment over the fact that this does not happen says more about us than it does about God.
There was, not too long ago, a posting on a website from a man, an artist, who was leaving the Catholic Church because the Church did not support him as an artist. Needless to say, this reflects more on the man than it does on the Church.
We have not been promised a life without pain or suffering, indeed we have been promised just the opposite. Artists know, or should know, that they have chosen a path of hardship, sacrifice, self-denial, and not a small amount of frustration. The vocation of creativity is to toil endlessly with little to no promise of compensation. Like Leonidas we must find a way to defend against on onslaught of enemies, even if victory sometimes seems unattainable.
We continue because we must. We know that in the end, if we follow our calling, it will all have been worth it. We can take comfort in the words of Rudyard Kipling:
“And those that were good shall be happy: they shall sit in a golden chair;
They shall splash at a ten-league canvas with brushes of comet's hair.”-When Earth's Last Picture is Painted, Rudyard Kipling
The Forces of Doubt
We cannot expect God to solve all of our problems in life, but we can learn how to deal with them. Perhaps first and foremost we should tackle the doubt that threatens our faith.
As Christians, we should not have any doubt, as Thomas the Apostle did, that Christ is Lord and God. But in reality we struggle with doubt every day. Every time we feel frustration, anxiety, and stress in our lives, we struggle with doubt.
We doubt our own worthiness to be forgiven. We doubt the mercy and goodness of God. We doubt God's desire or ability to fix our mistakes, bring victory out of failure, good from evil, and life from death.
But God has shown us His infinite mercy, a mercy that removes all doubt.
After His death and resurrection, Jesus returns to His followers who abandoned Him only a few days before. He had every right to be angry, hurt and disappointed. But He does not abandon them to their own fears and regrets. He comes among them and brings them His peace. He even invites Thomas to see and touch, and believe.
And for the rest of the world that allowed Him to be tortured and crucified He sends those same followers out with the ability to forgive sins, God's ultimate act of mercy.
We all have doubts, we all resist God's action in our lives one way or another. We get mad at Him, mistrust Him, and rebel against Him. But it is exactly at those times that God comes to us and offers us His mercy to win our trust and strengthen our faith..
Faith in God is the cure for our frustration, anxiety, stress, and yes, our doubt. These are the plagues of modern life.
Pax vobiscum
Ascension © Lawrence Klimecki
Pontifex University is an online university offering a Master’s Degree in Sacred Arts. For more information visit the website at www.pontifex.university
Lawrence Klimecki, MSA, is a deacon in the Diocese of Sacramento. He is a public speaker, writer, and artist, reflecting on the intersection of art and faith and the spiritual “hero’s journey” that is part of every person’s life. He maintains a blog at www.DeaconLawrence.org and can be reached at Lawrence@deaconlawrence.com
