A Pilgrim's Journal

Here are the four levels as I see them:

1. Disbelief

The first, lowest level is disbelief. We do not hold the information we see or hear to be true, and we certainly do not trust it with our lives, or act on it in any way. If the information is a lie, then this is the right course of action. But if the information is the truth, we are harming ourselves.

2. Uncertainty

This is the level where we just don't know. Perhaps there's not enough data to convince us. Or perhaps part of our heart is not ready to accept the evidence. Perhaps what we thought was true was called into question by new evidence. As long as we continue seeking the truth, this is a positive level, but if we are happy with our uncertainty, this becomes a dead end.

3. Certainty

This is the level where we know, intellectually. Perhaps very little evidence is required, or perhaps we have experienced something that confirms what we know. Or, perhaps more strongly, we have searched for the evidence we need, and we have many logical reasons and much evidence to back up our conclusion. Or perhaps we are told information from someone who is beyond reproach, who has no reason to lie, and who we trust.

This level is primarily a mental one. You can look outside, confirm the sky is blue, be certain that the sky is blue, but not do anything else with that certainty.

In terms of religion, many of us slide into this pothole. We claim to believe various things about God, but we don't let it change us.

Perhaps surprisingly, demons also fall into this category:

	You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons
	believe that -- and shudder.
   
	   James 2:19 (NIV)

4. Belief: Certainty that Motivates Action

This is the highest form of belief. Not only are we certain that what we know is right, but we are willing to let that knowledge shape our lives, even if we know that we only know part of the picture. We are willing to do things that seem risky to those who don't know what we know. If what we believe is right, we are rewarded. If what we believe is wrong, we suffer loss.

This is similar to the folks in Canada who took advantage of the home renovation tax credit. They believed the government enough to take a risk and spend money on their homes, even though the government didn't actually pass the legislation until late in 2009, as I recall. Whether that trust was warranted might be up for debate, but those that acted benefited from their belief.

In terms of religion, if you are certain that God is all-powerful, loving, just, and merciful, then this level of belief is the only one that makes sense.

Where is Doubt?

I was almost going to say that I thought that step 4 was the last step in putting doubt to death. But then I remembered the story of Jesus and Peter walking on the water. Peter saw Jesus, and asked:

	"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on
	the water."
     
	"Come," he said.
  
	Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and
	came toward Jesus.  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and,
	beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
   
	Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.
	"You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" 
   
	   Matthew 14:28-31 (NIV)

So action is not the last step in putting doubt to death. Even in the middle of acting, doubt can pop up. And it's not the amount of faith we should be concerned about, it is the doubt:

	The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"
   
	He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed,
	you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted
	in the sea,' and it will obey you. 
  
	   Luke 17:5-6 (NIV)

Even the smallest amount of faith, in its pure form, uncorrupted by doubt, is enough to move trees around by command.

Put another way, Jesus called Peter (who actually walked on water -- more than most of us have done!) "of little faith." If our faith is so small, how can we afford doubt?

In the end, I have to ask myself: What am I certain about? And even if that encompasses a surprisingly tiny area of knowledge compared to the vastness that exists, if I am honest with myself there are things I am certain about. I think each of us has these areas of certainty. And if so, then my responsibility is to act on that certainty and to continue to search for more.

See also the parable of the sower in Mark 4, for a better way to look at these levels of belief.