Jumping to Conclusions

Can you remember an occasion when someone jumped to conclusions about you? They didn't give you the benefit of the doubt...they thought the worst or you - rather than the best. How did it make you feel? Angry, sad, let down, frustrated, worthless, disappointed, wanting to give up...

Another question - can you remember an occasion when you've jumped to conclusions...about someone else? How do you think it made them feel?

In Joshua 22 we read a story of how some of the tribes in Israel jumped to a wrong conclusion about some of their brothers and almost went to war over what was essentially a misunderstanding arising from a lack of proper communication. And because they weren't talking they assumed the worst, they didn't give the benefit of the doubt, they jumped to conclusions.

But fortunately they started talking before they started fighting, and everything was sorted out.

Our world is full of tribes. We like to belong and in a tribe we have that belonging. We are 'in' and the rest are 'out'. We put boundaries around the tribe, things that mark the difference between 'us' and 'them'. And these tribes exist in the church too. Tribes like young/old, male/female, black/white, traditional/modern, old timers/new comers, doers/talkers ... And when we are with those from a different tribe in the church it can be very easy to jump to conclusions, think the worst, and not give the benefit of the doubt - because proper communication is not happening. Both sides may be talking but is anyone listening?

Whether it is in church, at home, in the office, family relationships, husband/wife ... we need to make sure that we are talking face to face (and listening). When you next have an 'issue' with someone go and talk to them face to face before things get out of hand. And don't jump to conclusions, do give them the benefit of the doubt and do think the best rather than the worst of them.

Seeing is Believing

A lot can happen in a week. Last week we were celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. A week on and Thomas still doesn't believe what the other disciples have been telling him (John 20:24-29). We're not told why Thomas wasn't with the other disciples on that Resurrection Sunday - maybe he wanted time on his own following the death of Jesus; maybe he had gone back to the day job; maybe he was simply out buying bread - all we know is that he wasn't there to see the risen Jesus. And even though the other disciples try and persuade him he says that he won't believe unless he sees for himself. And so he unfairly gets the title of 'Doubting Thomas'. Unfair because the others doubted too. None of them believed and understood what Jesus had said. The women only believed when Jesus appeared to them - and the disciples didn't believe them when they told what they had seen. None of them believed until they had seen with their own eyes.

Many people today still want to see before they believe. Seeing is believing. Unless something can be seen, held, measured... we are suspicious and disbelieving. But how will people believe Jesus if they can't see him? For although he is alive, he ascended back into heaven. Although he will come back, he isn't here now. When Jesus left he gave his Spirit - and as the Spirit works in us he is changing us into people who are more like Jesus. And so people will hopefully see Jesus in us. People will believe when they see Jesus working in us.

But people also want to belong before they'll believe - and yet all to often churches today insist that people believe (what we believe) and behave (as we behave) before we'll allow them to belong. Thomas in his dis-belief felt he could still meet with the other ten disciples. Thomas with his dis-belief was welcomed by the other ten disciples. And in spite of their differences, or may be because they were meeting together even though they were at different places on their journey, Jesus comes and meets with them.

How welcoming are we to those who don't yet believe? Not just welcoming in the sense of a warm handshake at the door and a cup of tea afterwards - but welcoming in the sense that those who don't believe can actually feel a part of what we do. How much of what we do is geared up for those who believe? Do we do anything with those who don't believe in mind?

Even those who have believed for a long time have doubts and questions. And sometimes church is the last place we feel we can express those doubts and questions - because everyone else seems so sure, and "how will they deal with me in my unbelief?" But if that's how we feel then isn't there something wrong with 'church'? Thomas was still accepted in spite of his unbelief. We're all on a journey of faith. Some are further on than others. Some are currently moving quicker than others. But we're on this journey together. And so when we have doubts and questions we need to be honest about that, knowing that those I'm travelling with will love me just the same as we wrestle with the questions together, waiting for Jesus to come alongside and say, 'Peace be with you'.

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