Matthew 21:21 - Jesus answered them, "Truly I tell you, if you (plural) have faith and do not doubt, you (plural) will not only do the same to the fig tree, but even if you (plural) say to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' it will be done."
Imagine you're one of the disciples still trying to make sense of what happened to the fig tree and hearing this answer! I would be very tempted to protest that my faith is not that great. And I would be missing an important point. Jesus was not talking to them only as individuals; the word 'you' is plural in the Greek as I indicated above. Jesus is addressing them together, as a community. If they (plural, together, as a community) have faith and do not doubt, they will be able to move mountains.
This is important because Christianity is not a solitary religion. It has always been community-oriented. The community of faith is central and mirrors the community of the Trinity. Together, we can move mountains. Singly? Not so much. This is the idea behind community organizing; a group of people with little or no power banding together has power.
Jesus, however, was not talking about political power, but the power of the faith community coming together to accomplish their goal. The Night Ministry in Chicago is a great example of this. Five churches in the Uptown neighborhood got together and ordained a minister to go to the bars and other places along Wilson Avenue where people experiencing homelessness hung out. He talked with them, heard their stories, helped them with what he could, and established trust. There are still people experiencing homelessness in Chicago and The Night Ministry is still using its resources to find them and support them; to keep them alive, physically and spiritually, until they can get housing or other needed help.
Recognizing the plurality of Jesus's audience is important when we think about doubt as well. One person can doubt and it will be more difficult to accomplish their goal. With a group of people, individual doubt will not affect the group to the same degree. I once told a professor that I doubted I could do something. They responded, "That's okay. I have confidence in you." That gave me courage to continue. When we support each other through our doubts, we can all get to our goal.
It's okay to doubt and struggle; in fact, it's necessary for faith. Without struggle, our faith is built on sand. Recognizing that the Bible contradicts itself and has some pretty dubious stories is the beginning of the struggle. A good example is the sacrifice of Isaac. Many Christians interpret this story as an example of Abraham's great faith. They might be surprised to discover that among Jews an alternate interpretation is that Abraham failed the test. Or maybe we should recognize that God doesn't come across so great in this story? It's not black and white.
So when we read the Bible and come across a passage such as the sacrifice of Isaac that is confusing or that goes against current social norms (a pro-slavery passage, for example) we need to struggle; keeping in mind that if several interpretations seem plausible, the most loving interpretation might be the best. Jesus read his scriptures and condensed everything to "Love God with all your heart, and soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself." If your interpretation leads to actions that harm others or yourself, consider trying a different interpretation.
Where have I experienced doubt? Did it get resolved? What do I struggle with today?
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