Questions, Questions, Questions

Most of us want answers more than we desire questions. And yet, unless we ask questions, we tend to remain pretty much the same people we've always been.  Questions are sparks that create growth.

If you don't like questions, then don't read the Bible.  It is full of questions, implied and explicit.       In fact, Jesus is always asking questions like: What are you seeking?  What do you want me to do for you?  What is your name? Who do you say I am?  A writer, John Dear, has a book filled with the questions Jesus asked.

The Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) is also full of questions.  God asks Ezekiel about the valley of dried bones:  Can these bones live? (Chapter 37)  Then there was Jeremiah in chapter 18: Can I not do with you as the potter does with the clay?

I was reading Psalm 77 this week.  It is full of questions, too.

Psalm 77 is a personal prayer of anguish.  The writer is so upset he/she cannot speak, sleep or rest.  Questions flood forth:  Will God reject me forever?  Will God ever be pleased? Has God ceased to  care for the present and future generations?  Has God cease to offer compassion?  Has God’s promises dried up?  Personal struggle has worked its way into the deep of the soul.  God’s integrity and faithful have come under intense scrutiny. God’s finger prints and footsteps have left no visible trace.

Past memory does not help or does it?   While the tension and anguish of this psalm do not seem to be resolved, remembrance does form a foundation for moving forward.  While the writer does not retreat to the past, he does remember that while God acted in the past, the visible marks of God do not linger.  Because our footprints are washed away by the incoming tide doesn’t mean we never walked on the beach. 

Questions remind us of the mystery of God’s presence and action.  So what questions has God put on your heart?