I think even more highly of Mother Teresa in light of her letters. When you sit in a comfortable pew, religion can seem like a nice, easy way of life.
But when you go out into the prisons, the slums, or walk among the dying of Calcutta, you are actually taking on the burdens and hurts of the world. To say the least, that can be difficult and depressing, and lead to moments of darkness. I know. I've had a small taste of what Mother Teresa spent her life doing. Of course there is darkness, of course there are questions -- where is God when people are suffering?
But I think more of Mother Teresa because, despite the 50-plus years of spiritual struggle, she kept going. A person of lesser faith would have quit.
If we had no doubts, there would be no need for faith. The very demands of faith presuppose our willingness to accept things that we cannot see, and often to hope against all hope. Christians who say that they haven't doubted most likely haven’t had to come face to face with the real-world suffering of others, or haven't thought about what their faith means.
Just as fear is essential to bravery, so doubt is essential to faith.
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