A Faith Defined by the Questions We Wrestle With
November 27, 2024
“Every year Jesus’ parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up as they always did for the Feast. When it was over and they left for home, the child Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents didn’t know it. Thinking he was somewhere in the company of pilgrims, they journeyed for a whole day and then began looking for him among relatives and neighbors. When they didn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem looking for him.
“The next day they found him in the Temple seated among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. The teachers were all quite taken with him, impressed with the sharpness of his answers. But his parents were not impressed; they were upset and hurt.
“His mother said, “Young man, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been half out of our minds looking for you.”
“He said, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be here, dealing with the things of my Father?” But they had no idea what he was talking about.
“So he went back to Nazareth with them, and lived obediently with them. His mother held these things dearly, deep within herself. And Jesus matured, growing up in both body and spirit, blessed by both God and people.” (Luke 2:41-52, MSG)
Commentary
This is the first of 307 questions Jesus asks over the course of the four gospels. The other first question, recorded in the Gospel of John, is like it:
“What do you seek?” (John 1:38, RSV)
There’s this misconception in Christianity that we should turn to Jesus (or to the Church) for all the answers, but the truth is that more often than not, Jesus responds to our searching, to our choice to follow him, and, yes, even to our questions, with more questions.
In private moments with his disciples, Jesus asks them questions or teaches them through parables, which spark wondering as the disciples must discern what Jesus actually means. This style is not unique to Jesus; it was the style of Rabbis at the time. They understood that this method of asking questions helps students – also called disciples – to arrive at a deeper understanding.
Those who practice true discipleship know that it is not important that I convince you to believe the way I believe; rather, it is my duty to help you tease out what you believe through questions and conversation (as you do the same for me).
As a Pastor in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), it is my experience that living a life of faith requires that we ask challenging questions of ourselves as we, with the Holy Spirit and, hopefully, some community of faith, seek God’s Truth. And I find Truth in the statement that the depth of our faith can be measured by the difficulty of questions with which we are willing to wrestle.
It is in this spirit that I have started this blog. It is my effort at creating a forum where modern disciples can come together to wrestle with the questions – all 307 of Jesus’ and the ones we bring, too – of faith as we seek to follow Christ.
I am Rev. Kelsey Creech, and I am a modern disciple. I hope you, reader, are too. I truly hope you’ll bring your questions and your faith to join me in this modern discipleship journey. I do not pretend to have all the answers, but I am willing to wrestle with just about any question.
My own personal theology is grounded in the Truth that God is Love (1 John 4:8) and that God so loved the World that he sent Jesus to us (John 3:16). Thus, I believe God loves us all no matter what. Of this one Truth, I am certain. As for most others? I’m still wrestling.
What to Expect
Each week, I’ll release a post like this. It will begin with an excerpt from scripture, which will be followed by some commentary and context. After this, you will find a list of questions that relate to the scripture and commentary. They are intentionally open ended, and I hope they help each of you who chooses to read these posts to engage your faith and to wrestle a bit with God. You are welcome to respond through the channels WordPress (edit) has available to you, or to ponder these things in your heart, like Mary.
Should you choose to participate in the community, there are a few guidelines:
I believe that faith is best practiced in community, so I hope you will share your voice with us in some way. Being a faithful community requires a sense of unity that does not require uniformity. Living this distinction well necessitates that we each respect the differences which inevitably exist in the ways we experience God and the World.
We are not seeking perfect agreement, but we are seeking greater understanding of ourselves, of God, of the world, and of each other. We know that we will not all arrive at the same understanding, and yet we will share this unifying experience of asking and answering questions together.
Today’s Questions
What are you seeking? Why are you looking for Jesus? What has brought you to this blog today?
What do you believe about the role of doubt and questions in a life of faith?
Growing up, what questions did you learn were off limits in Church? Are you willing, interested, and brave enough to ask them now?
A Blessing for All Seekers
In your pursuit of Jesus,
Whether seeking Truth, Love, Hope, Joy, Peace, or something entirely other,
May you find what God has laid for you with ease.
As you begin to reckon with questions that scare you,
May the perfect love of God cast out your fear.
And as you get honest with yourself about doubts and questions,
May God’s love of you,
authentically, just as you are,
overwhelm you in the best way.
May you follow where Christ leads, Disciple,
and may your faith only grow.
Rev. Kelsey Sherazi 