Postmodern scepticism is a two-edged sword. It rightfully questions our presuppositions and assumptions and makes us ask important questions like: why do I believe what I believe?
Who would really want to blindly follow a person or a teaching solely on the basis of the reasoning: "Because I said so!"
I admit I have actually done this to my kids many times because I was more interested in results (prompt obedience) and maintaining control than their understanding and agreement with my rationale. But ultimately I don't want them to just follow without thinking. I want them to act out of conviction and to make informed decisions for the rest of their lives. I want them to ask probing questions and not just follow a crowd or someone who has declared himself as leader.
The downside of that very critical questioning process is the absence of absolutes. The more I question myself and others, the more I become aware of the subjectivity of our thinking and our conclusions. "Truth" and our understanding of it are beginning to get sucked into a vortex of relativism, and since God and the Bible are not exempt in the questioning, a deep crisis of faith can result. More questions arise: how can I really know anything for sure? Is there any firm foundation left for me to stand on?
Paul once made an interesting statement: "I know whom I have believed!" (2 Timothy 1:12) His confidence was not based on his own logical reasoning nor did his faith focus on abstract dogmatic statements. The one thing he was sure about was Jesus. The person, not a formula! His confidence and trust arose from the initial encounter with the risen Lord, and the ongoing relationship from that point on had a lasting effect on him. He knew deep down in his heart: I am loved, I am forgiven, I am called to invite others to share in that same experience and reality I am privileged to be a part of now!
Paul did not gain that confident faith as a result of his own searching or analytical thinking. Jesus came to him, not vice versa.
God hasn't stopped pursuing us either. He is working hard to earn our trust rather than just demanding it. The more He reveals Himself to us and the more we get to know Him, the more the doubts are lifting like the morning fog patches when the sun comes out.
There are still lots of things I don't know and understand. And quite possibly I don't need to know them or cannot know them with full clarity on this side of eternity. I'm comforted by what 1 Corinthians 13:12 says: "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known!"
In the meantime, I keep walking with the One I have come to trust, knowing who is walking with me. That's my security and my foundation - that He's taken me by the hand!
