ADVENT WEEK ONE
December 5, 2020
More Questions Than Answers
Mark 11:27-33
Again they came to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?” Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.” Mark 11:27-29
If you’ve ever spent much time with a 4-year-old child, you know they have a lot of questions. The simplest, “But, why?” holds a yearning to understand how their wants, needs, and desires fit within the world around them. As weary as we may grow of answering these questions, they are an integral part of shaping their young, impressionable minds.
Questioning the world around us is normal. It’s healthy, and it helps us shape our opinions, our attitudes, and our actions. Asking questions can bring healthy dialogue, encouraging us and others to think outside of the box. Questioning people, systems of power, and the universe itself can aid in our desire to act on issues that conflict us at the deepest levels.
It’s surprising to note that Jesus asks more than 300 questions in the Gospels, but answers very few. What does that say about Jesus, and what can we learn from this example? Jesus asked questions with a goal of engaging others and bringing about transformation. What are our motives in questioning people, society, and the world around us? Jesus’s questions confront us with our own thoughts, beliefs, and biases. Are we open to change, growth and action as we seek answers to difficult questions?
Holy One, may you bless both our questions and our answers. May our questions bring about healthy dialogue and guide us into actions that bring love, compassion, and justice to a world with far more questions than answers.
Sharon Russ
Executive Assistant to Advancement and
Donor Relations Specialist
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