Doubt

In that there's comfort

Doubt not the commoners, for whom we stand; But they, upon their ancient malice, Will forget with the least cause these his new honors: Which that he will give them make I as little question As he is proud to do 't

I heard him swear, Were he to stand for consul, never would he Appear in the market-place, nor on him put The napless vesture of humility, Nor, showing, as the manner is, his wounds To the people, beg their stinking breaths

'Tis right

So it's also acknowledging what a part of you needs to be able to address that.

Doubt is a junction of choice, basically.

You choose at that point to either go with the old way of being and stay, if we go with the comfort zone, stay in your comfort zone, or you choose.

Doubt can make us feel like we're out of control, but actually doubt is simply...

That junction of choice.

You decide, you choose.

Or a part of us needs evidence or whatever.

So it's noticing that, but not thinking that it's a full stop.

The movie shows the struggle Brandon's brother Marty had with his death.

The movie depicts an interaction between Marty and this character I am calling Unbelief and Doubt.

As they gathered high school gymnasium for Brandon's funeral, this character was trying to get into Marty's head.

I'm going to quote just some of the dialogue because it's so accurate of what Unbelief and Doubt will do to us when we allow it.

Unbelief says, This day ought to be about you and your family, but instead that bunch of busybodies up there are holding hands and praying.

And who are they worshiping? A God who is unable to prevent this tragedy or a God who is unwilling to prevent it? Marty, just face it.

People just don't have the courage to face the reality that life is just a series of random events.

I don't need to go on with any more of the dialogue from the movie.

Read for LibriVox.org by Larry Wilson.

How they did laugh when mounting our camels The three of us rode, obeying the light! Slowly we cut our hearts from the trammels Doubt flung around us that first wistful night.

Only a star above wind and rain, Only a bloom on the passionless plain, Waving us onward; yet we were right.

We thank Thee, Lord.

Hope, last of all the angels, left the three who with their woman's courage watched Christ die.

But Hope when she had fled returned to plant in them one humble flower, the thought that in His gray sepulcher bower they three might strew around the Dead the alms of one adoring sympathy, and pray a last good-bye.

They sped in silence; but the sharp-fanged Doubt lurked in the path to mock their pungent store of spices, hissing, "Nay, ye cannot reach the tenant of that gloom." But when the dawn and they retouched the tomb, they found the stone was rolled away, and He, their life who died, now stood without, alive for evermore.

Thus when we seek our buried innocence with bitter myrrh and gray-leaved rosemary, and writhing doubts delay our steps towards the tomb of our desire, do Thou, O Lord, our musing eyes inspire to see the stone is rolled away, and find that Self has thrown its grave-clothes hence and risen to live free.

Neither be you sure of your salvation.

Doubt it still, though the testimony of the Lord has been often confirmed in you.

Live not by faith, but by sense, and when you can neither see nor feel, then fear and mistrust, then doubt and question all.

This is the counsel of unbelief, which is so covered over with specious pretenses that the wisest Christians can hardly shake off these reasonings.

It did not budge at all, and he tapped it.

The animal was dead.

Doubtless accustomed to a sedentary existence, to a humble life spent underneath its poor shell, it had been unable to support the dazzling luxury imposed on it, the rutilant cope with which it had been covered, the jewels with which its back had been paved like a pyx.

End of chapter five.

Recording by Martin Geeson in Haslemere, Surrey.