The Thistle - An E-Newsletter of Scotch College, Perth, Western Australia

Wednesday 6 March was 'Ash Wednesday', which begins a six-week season of Lent. It remembers the time that Jesus was tempted in the desert. Before Jesus began his ministry, he had to be clear about his own identity, about what he valued and about what really mattered.

If Jesus were in the desert today, perhaps one of his major temptations would be to find identity in an ideology, a philosophy or even the lure of certainty – having to know and be in control.

The new religious fundamentalisms popping up all over the world predicate themselves on absolute certainty. In my own spiritual journey, I have always had many questions and doubts. And I do not think I am alone. I have never considered doubting to be sinful or against the 'will of God' and sometimes my questions have led me to a deeper appreciation of Christian truth.

As a person of faith, I believe that God is at work in this world. It gives me a certain confidence to face and live with difficult questions without having to resort to easy answers. We need not be threatened by doubts. What is more threatening to our wellbeing is the suppression of them – the inability to recognise that we cannot always be certain!