President's Letter
April 2008

Following the Reverend Art Lester’s thought-provoking address “The Invasion of the Book Believers” at our March service, in which he addressed the issue of slavish belief whether in the “truths” contained in the Bible or other holy book, or an equally closed-minded atheism, I looked for inspiration for this month’s letter in our “Singing the Living Tradition” book of songs and readings. I found one reading which expresses much better than I ever could the much more difficult path of using our doubts to open ourselves to and explore our personal spirituality.
The title of the reading is, “Cherish your doubts” by Robert T. Weston.
“Cherish your doubts, for doubt is the attendant of truth.
Doubt is the key to the door of knowledge; it is the servant of discovery.
A belief which may not be questioned binds us to error, for there is incompleteness and imperfection in every belief.
Doubt is the touchstone of truth; it is an acid which eats away the false.
Let no one fear for the truth, that doubt may consume it; for doubt is a testing of belief.
The truth stands boldly and unafraid; it is not shaken by the testing:
For truth, if it be truth, arises from each testing, stronger, more secure.
Those that would silence doubt are filled with fear; their houses are built on shifting sands.
But those that fear not doubt, and know its use, are founded on rock.
They shall walk in the light of growing knowledge; the work of their hands shall endure.
Therefore let us not fear doubt, but let us rejoice in its help:
It is to the wise as a staff to the blind; doubt is the attendant of truth.”
May we all have the courage to face our doubts and find our own truth.

In Fellowship,

Margaret Wilson-Fuller