by Rachel Stockton

Created on: December 17, 2010   Last Updated: December 22, 2010

Soon after her death, it was revealed that Mother Teresa had openly admitted in some of her diaries and letters that she wrestled with her faith – indeed, she “confessed” that she had doubts.  Interestingly, some non-believers took these revelations as a victory flag for unbelief. 

Yet, Mother Teresa’s doubts did not sway her from her fundamental mission; she knew what her life’s work was to be.  Ironically, despite the “weakness” of doubt, her life was transformed into a life of strength and insight born of working through her personal skepticism.

Faith:  A Biblical Definition

In the 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews, faith is described by the writer as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

By its very definition, faith implies a certain modicum of doubt.  Faith is trust without “hard evidence,” as the spiritual realm is largely “unseen.”  This creates within us at times a certain dissonance – the unknowing can make us feel as if we are in limbo, which is often psychologically uncomfortable.  Ironically, this mental/emotional discord can spark the beginnings of an increased measure of faith, not a diminished one.

In the book LINCOLN’S MELANCHOLY, author Joshua Wolf Shenk meticulously chronicles Abraham Lincoln’s intense struggle with depression.  He writes that at times Lincoln’s melancholy was so pronounced that it drove him to the verge of suicide.  Shenk continues by stating that what brought Lincoln back from the abyss of mental anguish was his belief that through suicide, he would forfeit what he was destined to become. 

Additionally, Lincoln often questioned what his purpose was, yet he recognized his lack of knowledge in this regard was largely irrelevant.  He believed that when the appropriate time came, he would understand.

Although the Union was under his command during the American Civil War, Lincoln never boasted that God was clearly on the side of the north.  As a matter of fact, on several occasions he asserted that even though one side might be “right” and the other “wrong,” BOTH sides could quite possibly be wrong in the sight of God. 

In the Book of Job, the biblical treatise on suffering and, per Shenk, Lincoln’s “go-to” resource on how to proceed during the war, Job’s adamant question of “why”

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