Folks who know me understand that I have no qualms about asking questions.
Tough questions.
Of anyone.
For any reason.
Most of the time I ask questions in order to evoke reflection.
I’m not really challenging anyone.
I want them to think deeply about what they are saying or doing.
And, questions open up the possibility of discussions.
Discussion is always good.
Especially, for someone like me.
You see, many times I have no idea what I think about something until I actually say it out loud. (Or, write about it. Like now.)
So, in forming and stating questions I am more able to process the internal thoughts that roam free upon the ranges of my mind.
I take this same approach when I speak to, and about, God.
Hey! I heard that collective gasp out there!
“What?!? You question God?”
Sure. Why not?
Do you really think that God is afraid of my questions?
Perhaps I might catch God off guard with something?
One time I said to a pastor of the church I was attending that God is OK with our questions.
His response?
“Well, maybe. But, I wouldn’t push it.”
Push God?
How exactly does a person “Push God”?
Anyway, that said, I want to get to the real reason for this post.
(The mark of a true writer is to be able to write a whole bunch of words before making a point. It boosts word count.)
Most of you know that I’m currently dealing with colon cancer.
It’s like going to a party and receiving a White Elephant gift.
“Ok, now what am I supposed to do with this purple Bobbing Bird?”
Many people have expressed their concern and have said that they will keep me in their thoughts and prayers.
I appreciate this sentiment. It reveals our common concern for others. We’ve all suffered through one thing or another. So, we try to empathize with those who are currently suffering.
So, to all of you, a heartfelt, “Thank You”!
But, what if……
There are a lot of people out there who think that all they need to do is garner enough faith and pray. They think that God will then miraculously heal them.
If they follow the correct procedure, according to their unique reading of Holy Scripture, God is almost obligated to heal them.
“But, God said if I have faith like a mustard seed I can tell this mountain to throw itself into the sea! And, it will! Hallelujah!”
I don’t know about you, but I haven’t seen a lot of heavenly landscaping recently.
These same people have built million dollar industries on the fear of people.
Folks get sick. The diagnosis is dire.
Benny Hinn says, “God will heal you!” as he puts his hands on your head.
The emotions of the moment are overwhelming.
You find yourself being helped to the floor by attendants who work for the scamvangelist.
People in the room and around the world see this and happily reach into their undernourished bank accounts to send money so that “God’s work can continue.”
But, what if……
God doesn’t work that way?
But, what if……
God’s only real promise to us is that,
“I will never leave you nor forsake you”?
But, what if……
God never intended for us to avoid all of the stuff, good and bad, that makes us human?
But, what if……
God understands our suffering and sorrows and will walk with us as we move forward?
I know that some folks will take issue with these thoughts.
Some may even question my faith.
But, what if……
God is not afraid of the questions?
This is gold. I’ve always thought that if God is truly omniscient then he would already know I’ve got questions – and he’d already know I was going to ask them. So why do we act like we have to hide our questions from a God who already knows what is in our innermost thoughts anyway?
There’s a different take on this that some of the old-guard Christians used to say (specifically, my ex’s grandmother) – “that which you fear the most will come upon you”. I always thought that was a terrifying way to live. God knows you’re innermost fear about your house catching on fire so that’s just what’s gonna happen to you. So there.
I wasn’t necessarily thinking of omniscience. I’m not convinced that God is. Perhaps, we have unrealistic expectations of who God is and What God does.
But, what if…..
Omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence have been tenets, either official or implied, in most of the churches I’ve visited, including some Pentecostal establishments. Indeed, to suggest that one felt otherwise would have been discouraged. This is why the concept of not questioning God always sounded strange to me even as we were taught that God knows all. To express questions was often looked at as tantamount to a lack of faith in Him (always capitalized…). Goes back again, I think, to just believing everything you’re told. “If your faith is strong there’s no reason to doubt or question”.
Yep, pretty much.
But, what if…..it’s not God we actually question? What if it’s just a human interpretation of what we THINK God is?
That absolutely is not above questioning. In fact, it begs for questions.