THE UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE, Part 1

“When in Doubt …”

The Holy Apostle Thomas

I’ve always felt a particular affection for the apostle Thomas. His was not the way of blind faith but of reverent agnosticism. “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Even more than Peter’s timidity after the trial of Jesus, his doubts strike a chord with modern man. It is interesting and possibly significant that, alone among the apostles, Thomas is celebrated twice: on his feast day of October 6 and on the Sunday after Easter. Moreover, the Gospel reading at the beautiful ‘Service of Love’ on Easter Sunday is the story of his doubt. With a wonderful sense of the dramatic, the priest's chanting of the Gospel rises to a crescendo as he ends with the words: “I will not believe,” a real cliff-hanger until the story is completed the next week. The story does end, of course, on a high note as, when Thomas actually meets the risen Christ, he kneels before Him and utters the simple words “My Lord and my God.” Jesus gently ticks Thomas off for his doubt but, according to tradition, the apostle went on to become a valiant missionary to Persia and India and a martyr for his faith.  

We could all have said the same as Thomas and, in a manner of speaking, we often do. How lovely it would be to be able to say at all times “I know that my Redeemer liveth” instead of “I believe” or even on occasions “I’m not really sure but …. .” To have no doubts, however, is surely to have no thoughts. To have no doubts is to have no free will. Is doubt always a bad thing? Ellis Peters has her fictional monk Brother Cadfael make the insightful comment, “I sometimes like to put a little sand of doubt into the oyster of faith” and it could be argued that more pearls of wisdom may be grown out of doubt than out of certainty!

RESTORED TO LIFE

A Trip to Albania, Postscript

In spite of Enver Hoxha's attempt to make Albania “the world's first atheist state,” religious life in the country has experienced a revival since the fall of communism. The Orthodox Church, under the guidance of the extraordinary Archbishop Anastasios has rebuilt its administrative structure, ordained priests and rebuilt many of the churches destroyed during the communist era. Among these was the Cathedral in Korcë. The original Cathedral of the Life-Giving Spring was turned into a museum during the communist era and the Church was refused permission to restore it. After a long struggle, the Church was offered a plot of land in a poor location. Following an argument with the local government, even this was taken away but within a short time another plot was offered in a prime location in the city centre next to the city hall! As Metropolitan Joani says, “For us, this was a miracle. We could not have asked for a better place to build our cathedral.” Another success in Korcë was the restoration of the Metropolis offices to their original role after they had been  used as a communist party youth training centre for thirty years.

Korcë Cathedral

On my first morning in Korcë, I went to Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral. As the chanter recited the prayers, I was astonished to hear a full choir sing the responses in the Russian style. Since there was no sign of a choir or organ, I thought at first that it was a recording (!) but discovered later that there is a special choir loft. The effect was so heavenly and beautiful that a very large lump was brought to my throat. I later found out that Vasko, mentioned last week, is the choirmaster at the cathedral and was responsible for the beautiful music. Because of the persecution under Hoxha, there is a fervour and passion about those who still attend church that is extremely moving. Certainly, when the whole congregation joined in the Creed and the Lord's Prayer, I was conscious of a sincerity that is often absent in countries where it is easier to be a Christian.