If You Want to Know…
2He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18: 2-4 (NIV)
My children ask questions. A lot of questions. They ask questions on top of questions, and then ask those same questions again, even though they already know the answer. Their natural curiosity about their world is beautiful to see, although at times it can be exasperating as a parent. But we want them to ask questions, because they can learn through those questions.
Our own faith journey is filled with questions - yet oftentimes we feel dumb for asking questions, or we find ourselves in situations (and/or churches) in which questions are not encouraged, as if the pastor and the leadership had all of the answers. That lack of humility can easily crush the questions that each of us has in our walk with God - for is it not arrogant for us to presume that we know all of God’s intentions?
As we mature in our faith journeys, I think we become more attuned to God’s intentions for our lives in certain situations, but we are far from full comprehension on His reasons. So we must ask questions - be like the children we once were and become the children of God who ask Him questions so that we may receive an answer and greater understanding of who He is.
How can we develop a relationship if we don’t ask questions? Don’t we ask questions of new colleagues, acquaintances in order to get to know them? Wasn’t that first date with the person who became your spouse filled with questions? Didn’t the questions continue throughout the courtship, and don’t they still continue in your relationship today? Questions help deepen the relationship - just as they do with human relationships, they do the same with our relationship with the Father.
One of the gifts my wife gave me yesterday was Rob Bell’s Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith. I initially read this book about 18 months ago, and now revisiting it, I am seeing things that I missed the first time through. Of note is a section early in the book about questions. Bell writes:
Central to the Christian experience is the art of questioning God. Not belligerent, arrogant questions that have no respect for our maker, but naked, honest, vulnerable, raw questions, arising out of the awe that comes from engaging the living God.This type of questioning frees us. Frees us from having to have it all figured out. Frees us from having answers to everything. Frees us from always having to be right. It allows us to have moments when we come to the end of our ability to comprehend. Moments when the silence is enough.
This statement comes after Bell describes several folks in the Bible who were not afraid to ask questions of God, from Abraham struggling with God’s decision on Sodom and Gomorrah, to Moses questioning God on whether he was the right person to lead Israel out of Egypt, to the myriad questions David asks throughout the Psalms, to Mary’s own question about how she could be pregnant as a virgin.
Questions give us answers. And they deepen our understanding of God.
If you want to know the answer, you must ask.
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By Dustin, December 31, 2006 @ 3:05 pm
Velvet Elvis is a fantastic book, especially for those who may not necessarily far down the road of Christian faith. I need to pick it back up and read it again. I am sure new insights will arise which I missed the first time.
By Andy, December 31, 2006 @ 4:45 pm
Indeed it is, Dustin - I didn’t appreciate as much my first time through (although I really enjoyed it then) - but now, being a little more than halfway through it a 2nd time, I am finding plenty of good things to ponder (and ultimately write about).