Sometimes I feel like I live my life as if it’s all about declarations,
propositional truths, summaries and memos. I understand the need to exchange information. I do it all the time. And truth has certain content.
But the truth we need to know is contained not inside a book, or a document or even a blog post but inside a living, breathing person.
Now, that, for me, changes everything. For, suddenly, I have to relate to this Person. And I find that a person is not a simple assortment of propositional truths organized by size, shape and color like a fruit stand in the farmer's market. Person is heart and mind, thoughts and emotions. Love, dreams, fears, tears, choices, passions, wounds, hope, darkness, light... a mystery packed inside a body, sometimes strong, sometimes worn-out and weak, big or small, short or tall...
What we don't know is so much greater than what we know. Questions reveal the desire to go beyond what’s obvious... or what is assumed.
But the truth we need to know is contained not inside a book, or a document or even a blog post but inside a living, breathing person.
Now, that, for me, changes everything. For, suddenly, I have to relate to this Person. And I find that a person is not a simple assortment of propositional truths organized by size, shape and color like a fruit stand in the farmer's market. Person is heart and mind, thoughts and emotions. Love, dreams, fears, tears, choices, passions, wounds, hope, darkness, light... a mystery packed inside a body, sometimes strong, sometimes worn-out and weak, big or small, short or tall...
What we don't know is so much greater than what we know. Questions reveal the desire to go beyond what’s obvious... or what is assumed.
Besides the daily functional inquiries, like, Mom, what’s
for dinner?, or, Have you finished
your homework? or, When is the birthday party? questions are invitations
into deeper knowing, more intimate understanding…
What are you thinking?
How did that make you
feel?
Probably the most common question we ask God is
Why?
Why?
Why? It’s our cry of despair
as we try to reconcile what we know of His flawless character – His love, His goodness,
His kindness, His power and authority – and the seemingly prevailing power of evil in our
world.
Why did God create mosquitoes? is how my children summarize this existential dilemma.
But, then, there comes the day when it’s not us who ask, but God.
Where are you, Adam? Genesis
3:9
Cain, where is Abel
your brother? Genesis 4:9
Hagar, Sarai’s maid,
where have you come from and where are you going? Genesis 16:8
God is omniscient - He never seeks new information when He asks us a
question. He hasn’t lost His GPS and is now scrambling to locate Adam’s, Abel’s or Hagar’s coordinates and needs their help.
God's questions are an invitation to these individuals - which, in turn includes me and you - to re-calibrate our lives and align them to the Presence and Purposes of the Almighty.
God's questions are invitations to transformational living:
Son of man, can these bones live? Ezekiel 37:3
What is that in your hand, Moses? Exodus 4:12
How many loaves do you have? Mark 6:38
Why do you seek the Living One among the dead? Luke 24:5
But, it goes beyond this still…
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