(Quest)ions

Last week one of my church members introduced me to one of her friends--a guy in his mid-twenties who described himself to me as a "seeker." He grew up in a church but now finds himself questioning the religious beliefs he was taught. He told me about some of the issues and ideas with which he was struggling and he described to me a church where questions like his were not welcome.

When I was 12 years old, I went through Confirmation Class at the Meadowbrook United Methodist Church in Gladstone, Missouri. One Sunday evening, during class, the tornado sirens went off and our pastor had us take shelter in the basement. While we were downstairs waiting for the storm to pass, I asked the pastor, "If God is good, why does he allow bad things like tornados to happen?" I don't remember the pastor's answer but I do remember that he received my question with grace and with respect. That experience was significant for me as it invited me into a way of faith that isn't about having a checklist of right answers but having a relationship with Jesus that values honesty and authenticity.

If you look carefully at the New Testament gospels, you will see that Jesus sometimes asked questions as a way to teach his disciples and as a way to get them to look inside themselves for a deeper truth.

"Simon, do you love me?"
"Do you want to be made well?"
"Where are we to buy bread for all of these people to eat?"
"Who do you say that I am?"
"What are you looking for?"

Jesus didn't seem to have a problem with questions. Maybe those of us in the church need to follow his lead on this...?