Mother Teresa

I had heard about the content of Mother Teresa's diary a while back. It was said then, as it's said now, is that she wrestled with doubt through a long stretch of her life. Suddenly today when an incredibly devout woman who spent her life doing good amongst the poorest of the poor, she is cast on the front page with an almost gloomy report of her doubt.

The landmark study of faith was done by a man named James Fowler where he labels six stages o faith development. You can read them here: http://faculty.plts.edu/gpence/html/fowler.htm

Many people find Mother Teresa's doubt to be shocking because we live in a day and age when many people appear to be stuck at what Fowler calls Stage 2, Mythic Literal Faith.

What begins to happen when people grown and transcend mythic-literal faith is that they begin to doubt. They reattain a sense of faith as they grow and then go through more periods of doubt. Often, when we find people who have never had any doubt, the sense may be that they haven't grown beyond Stage 2 in their faith development. Moving from absolute assurance (stage 2) and allowing ourselves to question and doubt is a step many people do not desire to take.

Mother Teresa, however, did not fear growth. In fact, her life was focused on growing in her faith----and in growing in her faith she experienced doubt.

On another level, well, no kidding. She was constantly in confrontation with a world that honored wealth and power and she was working with the poorest of the poor. The people no one wanted. The more ignored people in all society.

As I look at this amazing woman I can't help but admire her and her faith journey. It only occurs once in several life times when we really see a person who walked the walk very much like Jesus.