Hannah Swithinbank

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'doubt is the heart of the matter'

I love Graham Greene.  The quote of the title is one of his. This post isn't about Graham Greene (though you should go away and read him anyway, and not just Brighton Rock): it's about this TED video by Lesley Hazelton, on doubt as being at the heart of faith.

Abolish all doubt,  and what's left is not faith, but absolute, heartless conviction. You're certain that you possess The Truth. And this certainty develops into dogmatism and righteousness...  No questions, only answers... the perfect antidote of thought.

Real faith has no easy answers. It's difficult, and stubborn. It involves an ongoing struggle... it goes hand in hand with doubt, in never-ending conversation with it, and sometimes in conscious defiance of it.

As someone who doubts pretty much every day of the week (and sometimes doubts the days of the week - after all, Thursday regularly *feels* like Friday, and what is time anyway...?)  this little video acts as both a validation and an explanation of how I live with and live out my faith.

It's worth watching in full.

(h/t The Daily Dish)