Questions February 6, 2007
Posted by Alien Drums in Christianity, Philosophy, Religion, Spirituality, Truth, Uncategorized.trackback
We always look for answers, but maybe we should be looking for questions. They may be more important.
For instance, we evangelical Christians tend to ask questions like, “How can a person be saved?” “Is our salvation predestined or do we have free will?” “Is the Bible inerrant?”
Then the more skeptical tend ask questions like, “Does God exist?” “How could Jesus be both God and man?” “Was Jesus really God’s son?”
I wonder if it would be better to ask questions like these, “What can I do today to connect with the reality that I cannot see?” “What can I do today to help someone else?” “What can I do today to become a better person?”
You probably noticed the repeated phrase — “what can I do”. I’ve always heard we should focus on being and the the doing will follow. I wonder if we should focus on doing and let the being follow. I don’t mean “doing” in the sense of trying to fulfill certain guilty obligations. I mean “doing” in the sense that maybe it would be good to focus on what can be done by me this day. If there’s any truth there then the “doing” is not as important as what we do.
I have spent most of my adult life as a journalist. I never felt my strength was in dancing with the English language; rather, I felt my strength was always in asking questions. I didn’t mind asking questions even if they made me look dumb. As a result, I learned things I would never have learned because people really talk when people really want to know what they have to say.
What does life have to say? Are we really asking, or are we always telling life what we want it to be?
I’m thinking out loud. Someone help me.
Life is what you are. It is your purpose to tell it what you want it to be.
You did ask.
Telling has been a Christian pastime, I’m afraid.
Listening and asking questions, as you pointed out, play a huge role in learning and relationship building.
Yet, the intellectual questions and dialog can, at times, become an irrelevant playground. What if we have the “right” answer for every intellectual question of interest, but don’t know how to live, or just plain, don’t live?
What can we do to be evidence that Christ’s Kingdom is here and now?
I think you will like John Santic’s, “Living In The Story” post.
http://towardshope.typepad.com/towards_hope/2007/02/living_in_the_s.html
Good words, Glenn. I must say I like the intellectual playground at times, but then after a while you just seem to be on a merry-go-round getting nowhere. I do indeed want to live.
To your question about evidence: I think my life, as flawed as it is, is such evidence of Christ’s Kingdom to me. I can’t imagine what I would be like without Christ in my life; or maybe I can but I don’t like what I imagine.
I checked out John Santic’s “Living in the Story.” Very good. I especially liked the question, “Are we living in the life giving narrative of the Kingdom that redeems all kingdoms and cultures and stories, or are we meandering through an illusion with God’s holy words lodged in our heads, but failing to penetrate our hearts where they can guide us to live the reality of His Kingdom?”
Thanks for the link.
Very well written article. I love what you stated here. In essecene, let us be the example, let us show the spirit. By formulating the questions as you suggest, this puts the responsibility on us. Very good!
I think you’ve gotten at something very important, tobeme. The word “responsibility.” Sometimes I think “religious” ways of living are a way of diverting responsibility, of putting the whole load on God. You’ve really gotten me thinking. Thanks.
I personally believe that the question is the most important part. It reveals everything about the questioner, and can open the mind to new possibilities to the one asking and the one asked.