Do we create space for doubt?

Does our ministry welcome those who are struggling to believe — and offer them refuge from the need to have all of the answers?

Last week our campus played host to Brian McLaren, author — speaker — activist, and he led us in a number of great conversations. One that I have continued to sit with was on The 4 Stages of Faith Development.

He pointed out that while most students come to our campuses in Stage 1 (Simplicity — where things are clearly black and white, right and wrong) or Stage 2 (Complexity — where there is the recognition that life and faith aren’t that simple and that their is likely more than just one “right way” to see/do things) in their faith (which could be Christian, non, or no faith at all), they typically find themselves exposed to a number of new ideas, theologies, philosophies and life styles that serve to usher them into Stage 3 of faith development (according to McLaren’s matrix) — Perplexity. This stage of faith is defined, in part, by the notion that:

1. everyone’s got an opinion, and
2. who knows which one is right?

People in Stage 3 often exhibit high levels of doubt, distain for people at stages 1 or 2, and an overall lack of interest in faith-related activities and conversations — except, maybe, to dismiss them.

People in Stage 3, I believe, have been exposed to new things that no longer make the faith that they had “sufficient”. It’s not that their faith really and truly is insufficient, but more so that in order for them to move forward with that same faith ( or some new, modified version of it), there will need to be questions asked – answers pursued – and new realities accepted and/or dealt with.

Enter us.

How do we respond?
How do we assist them?
How do we come alongside these students who are struggling?

Do we give them hope, or answers?
Do we tell them it’s ok to be where they are, or do we make them feel ‘less’?
Do we give them ‘safe space’ and offer to journey with them, or do we tell them that there’s something wrong and that they can come back when they get it figured out?

We might think the answer to these questions are obvious, but I wonder how often we unintentionally communicate something opposite through the way that we talk, the programs we offer, the events we attend, etc.

It would seem that in order for our students to one day live out a Stage 4 kind of faith (defined simply by humility and the ability to live harmoniously with people not like “us” – because we are focused on loving God and neighbor, seeking first God’s Kingdom, etc.), that they’ll have to spend some time in the struggle of Stage 3…

And how they manage in Stage 3 may have a lot to do with you and with me.