I wrote an email today in a hurry to someone today who is way further on in the journey of authenticity of faith than I am, a privilege to read what they had sent me, and in my reply I wrote:
Religion provides answers to those who don’t want to process their questions.
That made me think some! We all have questions; religion – of whatever brand – provides answers. The answer comes and if we don’t continue to push into what the question is behind and beyond the question we articulate we might well be satisfied. Then what happens the question comes back to nag at us, but we have the answer so the nag is silenced, and the process never goes further. Any action is short-circuited.
I wonder what questions Jesus wrestled with, born not in the centre, living early life as a refugee. What questions did the well-educated Saul of Tarsus push down until he met Jesus who asked ‘Why?’. Not ‘what are you up to’; not ‘stop doing that’… but ‘why?’.
We can be so sure about the answers… the big one (is it the big one?) on ‘heaven and hell’ and what I am saved from. But ‘why?’. Maybe it would not be the big one if I slowed down and asked why that is important. Maybe I would come up with a question behind the question and be done with religious answers.
Just thinking out loud.