After the events at the Spencer cabin, Christy is flung headlong into a deep crisis of faith. She blames herself for not handling the situation better, thinking that she could have done more to take away the terror of the superstition. The experience has shaken her faith in God, and she goes to speak with David about it. Once again, his reflections strike her as halfhearted and unhelpful, and it becomes apparent that he too is speaking from a place of uncertainty about his faith.

As time passes, her grief and confusion turn to anger against God, and Miss Alice commends her for this: “Christy, those who’ve never rebelled against God or at some point in their lives shaken their fists in the face of heaven, have never encountered God at all” (432). She directs Christy toward the biblical story of Job and the agonized psalms of King David. As Christy reflects on these things, still feeling she has a right to be angry with God, she senses God’s love wash over her. There is no answer given to her questions, just the unmistakable sense of a mighty, loving presence enveloping her. That is enough for her: “I knew now: God is.