09-18-21

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
September 18, 2021
Jesus did many things well, but two in particular were: Telling stories and asking questions. And when you think about a story, especially when it does not conclude with a fable-like moral, there is often an indirect question or two being asked. A story draws you in, and you’re often left asking, “How would I have responded?” In Mark 3:4, Jesus asks a question of those around him: Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill? Those gathered remained silent. Whether woven into a story or directly spoken, the question often confronts us directly. There is a range of reactions, everything from curiosity to anger, delight to discomfort. It makes me wonder if Jesus, when asking questions or telling stories, was not always looking for an answer or a specific lesson to be learned. Maybe he was looking for what happened within the individual, the reaction, the curiosity? Rob Bell uses the image of diving into a pool of water and swimming toward the bottom, never to find a final destination. Yet one continues to swim deeper and explore more intensely. If you believe God is the Eternal Other, never to be fully known by the human mind, then maybe the questions of faith are not necessarily seeking answers as they are beckoning us to explore without ceasing.

Create within me, Eternal God, a yearning to seek and explore with a joyful curiosity. Let the struggles, and the questions that only raise more questions, continue to push me toward you and the life-providing gifts you give. Amen.

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