Doubt, Deconstruction, and Patient Faith

Satoshi Kamiya is widely considered one of the greatest origami artists in the world. He’s best known for Ryujin 3.5, an impossibly intricate paper sculpture of a dragon. Origami artists sometimes share their crease patterns, which are detailed diagrams of every fold involved in a finished piece. Here’s the crease pattern for Satoshi’s Ryujin 3.5:

[…] Following Jesus usually begins simply enough. We believe and receive the gospel story and learn to live as God’s beloved. The early days of faith feel as light and free as a paper airplane. But as life marches on, the crease patterns become more complex. Questions about the Bible, the church, and our stories begin to populate the page. Soon enough, navigating faith feels nearly impossible. In frustration, we crumple up the paper and stop folding altogether.

I can empathize. In my early college years I went through doubt, deconstruction, and eventual deconversion. The Bible stories I cherished as a kid and the fond youth-group memories of my teenage years couldn’t bear the complexity of my questions. The crease patterns began to blur my vision and I crumpled up faith altogether.

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