Somehow I managed to never see an episode of Dr. Who until two years ago. I’d never even heard of The Doctor until I lived in England, and I’m not sure how I missed watching the show then with the Dr. Who Omnibus showing up all the time on the telly listings. My first doctor was Christopher Eccleston, and in my eyes, he will always be the best.
There has been a change with the last couple seasons that feels a lot like shark jumping. I’m displeased. Then again, I have been displeased ever since the latest Doctor took the reins. I must admit, however, that one of my all time favorite quotations from the series has come from the current Doctor: If I always told you the truth, I wouldn’t need you to trust me.
When I first heard that, it really bent my brain. How on earth can you trust someone who doesn’t tell you the truth? Both words come from the same origin!
My mind then switched to the concept of faith. Is trusting that something will happen different than having faith that it will? Not in my head. One line that is often said in Torah study is, “Faith is not the absence of doubt; it is in spite of it.”
Maybe that is why the Doctor Who quotation resonated with me, even if it was painful, a lot like the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.
Did everyone see that footage in high school science class? I’ve driven across this bridge, at least the latest version of it.
Going against reason (like believing what a known liar says) doesn’t make it wrong. Some of my most irrational decisions have been the best ones I’ve made. I have faith that things would work out positively, and I am normally right. It doesn’t always work out so well, but it does often enough for me to trust.
Who was your first doctor? or Are there any long running television shows that you have never seen? or Have you ever had faith/trusted that things would work out despite all the contrary evidence?
Grown Up, Now What? 
I haven’t had the opportunity to watch any of the Dr. Who episodes. I keep hearing that they’re great, but I just don’t seem to find the time to watch. I’m a bit of a purist so I’d want to start with the original doctor and work my way up. From what I’ve read, the first few episodes are so old that they’re lost. So I guess that’s out of the question.
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I haven’t watched any of the original series. I started at the reboot and thoroughly enjoyed it. There are so many years of old episodes I don’t know that you’d ever be able to catch up!
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Clearly, this Dr. Who is a popular thing – that much, at least, I’ve figured out. But I’ve never seen it.
That line is absolutely true – for me, anyway. Faith is not the absence of doubt; it is in spite of it. Think about it – many a faithful believer finds themselves in moments of doubt. Faith is trusting in that which we can not prove, whether it be related to God and His promises, the word or behavior of another person, the odds of any particular thing happening in our life. Faith is what keeps us adhering to whatever it is that we want to trust and believe, despite all reasonable evidence against doing so. We have no absolute proof of God’s existence. We have no absolute guarantees that anyone who promises us something will deliver. And yet, we continue to allow ourselves to trust, to believe, to have faith in those things which are meaningful for us. Maybe believing is part of what makes those things true.
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Dr. Who draws on both the Sci-fi and Anglophile groups.
I like your line “Maybe believing is part of what makes those things true.” I think it definitely does work that way. I know many times I’ve wanted to cancel out on events, but knowing that people believed in my reliability made me go through with it. By setting our expectations, we help shape the response we get.
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I used to watch Dr Who many, many years ago. One show I never watched, never, was Seinfield. don’t even know that I spelled it right. My new husband and my daughter make references to it often, knowing the source, and it goes whooshing right past me.
Yes – I believe in things working out – like the fact that I married not too long ago for the 2nd time and for my husband – it’s his third. Odds will tell us we’re doomed – or at least the marriage is. I don’t think so. I’m not listening.
No naysayers please.
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So you have seen the original Dr. Who series. Maybe I should start watching that on Netflix.
While I have watched some Seinfeld, it definitely jumped the shark long before it ended its run. I remember going over to my sister’s place to watch the finale, and we were both sooooo disappointed at how boring that last episode was.
I’m so glad you had enough faith to remarry. Your happiness together is based fully on how much you both believe it will work. Good for you for making that leap.
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I have never seen Dr. Who. I asked some fans to give me the short version of what it’s about, and I think I can fare without it.
Faith is what gets me out of bed in the morning. I have faith in a God that I cannot see. I trust that his truths are for all of us even though I can’t prove it. I have experienced human failure and know that trust in people or the world is short-lived. If I dwelled on that I’d have a hard time getting through the day.
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Dr. Who isn’t for everyone, but it can be a fun ride!
I think we have all trusted people whose past actions have not always proved their trust-worthiness. I envy you your faith in G-d. I’m so glad for you that it is a daily part of your life.
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