Questions

Melissa in her comment on my previous post brought up the issue of questioning. I think that a question is perhaps the most powerful tool on this earth.

William Wilberforce asked the question "is it right for human beings to be enslaved by another human?"

Martin Luther King Jnr asked the question "why is my son judged by the colour of his skin and not the content of his character?"

I could go on but I think you get the picture. Questioning of the status quo is what is required to find new directions and challenge stale assumptions. But a question is not always negative. Ask someone what they love about their spouse and you are sure to get a string of positive traits. The question can assist in pointing out the positive in a situation.

Questions can bring us closer to those around us. "How do I fix this broken wheel on my rubbish bin?" There is a level of vulnerability and humility in a question that empowers the person asked to respond.

For me the most influential question that I can remember from a faith perspective was being asked to respond to an article entitled, "Was Jesus gay?" I had to think through my thoughts on homosexuality but more importantly I had to ask some big questions about who I believe Jesus was as a human being. Most Christians I know would shake their head and tut tut at the question, some would even consider it blasphemous. I on the other hand remember fondly the challenge of that specific question on my faith journey. It challenged my assumptions and beliefs. But you know what, they survived. Not only that, they were also strengthened by the asking of a hard question.

What hard questions have you grappled with?

What I read today:

Tim Costello talks about Paris Hilton and the Celebrity syndrom in this article.

Free to Air Networks not serious about multiple channels