\n<\/p>\n
I like the phrase \u201cliving the questions.\u201d I use it now and then, and so do a lot of other people. There\u2019s even\u00a0a book<\/a>\u00a0out there that\u2019s got the phrase in the title.<\/p>\n I like the phrase because it encourages a \u201cjourney\u201d mentality of spiritual growth rather than a \u201cfortress\u201d mentality.<\/p>\n Some might think that seeing the Christian life as a journey is\u00a0just an excuse for a wishy-washy faith\u00a0rather than doing what Christians should be doing:\u00a0holding to \u201cabsolute truth.\u201d<\/p>\n I disagree.<\/p>\n I think the metaphor\u00a0reflects the healthy and inescapable realization that we are truly\u00a0certain of far less than we think we are;\u00a0that we walk by faith (trusting God), not by sight (being certain).<\/p>\n We are all on a journey of some sort, whether we\u00a0realize\u00a0it or not, and \u201cliving the questions\u201d can help unmask false certainties. Many are looking for communities of faith where they can find others who value\u00a0living the\u00a0questions, too, and won\u2019t judge each other for doing so.<\/p>\n In my world, at least, the questions I hear concern\u00a0the Bible: what is it and what do I do with it?\u00a0They want to feel safe and be valued for wanting to interrogate the Bible that was packaged for them<\/a> in their upbringing.<\/p>\n Older answers\u00a0no longer have\u00a0explanatory power\u00a0for the world they live in, and the place to begin to work it out is to ask a lot of questions in a community of fellow journeyers and not feel the pressure of\u00a0coming\u00a0up with\u00a0the\u00a0\u201cright\u201d answer to make others happy.<\/p>\n Like I said, I\u2019m down with all that, but there is another side to this.<\/p>\n These journeys can\u2019t be rushed and we should not think of God as standing over our shoulders impatiently waiting for us to get our act together.<\/p>\n That being said,\u00a0being willing to ask questions will also, sooner or later, wind up yielding some answers\u2014even if only tentative and embryonic.<\/p>\n \u201cLiving the questions\u201d can be a big\u00a0step to take. But moving along on the journey also involves working through some answers and the implications of those answers.<\/p>\n \u2026answers you never expected, answers that in your former mindset you \u201cknew\u201d were wrong, answers that would shock others if they knew.<\/p>\n I know readers would be encouraged by hearing stories of others who have experienced a transition like this. Please feel free to post your thoughts.<\/p>\n ***The original version of this post appeared in February 2013. Since then I wrote\u00a0The Sin of Certainty: Why God Desires our Trust More Than Our\u00a0\u201cCorrect\u201d Beliefs<\/a><\/em><\/strong> (HarperOne 2016), where I explore how holding on to certainty in our faith with a clenched fist impedes the journey\u00a0of faith.***<\/p>\n [Note: If you think the idea of journeying, living the questions, or arriving at risky answers is\u00a0wrong, stupid, self-absorbed, unorthodox, etc., you too should feel free to let us all know\u2014once<\/strong>. More than once is just badgering, and no one likes badgering. And please remember: I moderate comments and it may take me a few hours or more to get to them.]<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\nIt takes some courage to live the questions. It takes a bit more to live some of the answers.<\/h2>\n