This post found its life originally as a small group session, in the Connect Group that my wife and I were leading as part of HTB. There is a time-bound element to this post - but hopefully the core challenge is timeless and ideally relevant to someone.
Someone you may have heard of called Stephen Fry was interviewed on Irish TV, and asked what he would ask God. His response, if you can remember that far back into 2015, was quite forceful! What has been more fun is that Fry’s rant - for that is, at the end of the day, what it was, however eloquent - has elicited a range of responses. Former and current Archbishops of Canterbury, theologians, vicars, even Russell Brand.
I start with Stephen Fry because, as Giles Fraser wrote in the Guardian, I don’t believe in the God that Stephen Fry doesn’t believe in either. Why would I? That God sounds awful. Limited. Ineffective. Inhuman. Cold.
I believe in a God best seen and known in the person of Jesus. And it is in light of this I want to talk a little about questions. Asking questions is a vital part of most of our experience of living and being human. And I think that asking questions - the freedom to do so, the chance to search for answers, and having a place to be confused - is at the heart of being a Christian in our culture. Don't get me wrong - I believe that there are a lot of answers - but the asking is vital.
Questions are an important part of most people's experience of God faith and the world. Consider the success of Alpha's format - questions about faith and meaning, and a brand with a big red question mark at its core.
I want to start a conversation, or offer an invitation, about big questions and posit to you what God thinks about our questions
The fundamental thing I want you to read, to understand from this post - whether you agree or not, whether you believe in God or not, is this: asking questions is an important part of faith in Jesus. Whether we know him or not.
I say this for two very simple reasons.
The Bible often gets a bad rap. People often don't understand it. I certainly don't! Yet I, unfashionable though it is, believe that Bible is trustworthy and true. I'd use language of innerrancy and infallibility. I've blogged before about why I trust the Bible - this post is not about that particularly, but I want to affirm my belief in the Bible as wide and deep and beautiful and true.
Yet the Bible is full of examples of people who spend their time asking questions.
For just one example, consider Job. A whole book of the Bible devoted to questions, of people, of God, of the way things are. And there are no small questions here.
In his excellent book on Job, 'Out of the Storm: Questions and Consolations from the Book of Job', Christopher Ash explores this theme:
Job was a rich, blessed man, who loved God and whom God loved. At God’s permission, however, the Devil ruins Job’s life, destroying his family and wealth. His friends try to comfort him. They aren’t that helpful. One of his friends, Eliphaz, asks, “who that was innocent ever perished?” (Job 4:7). Ash notes what Job’s friends miss (for a whole host of reasons, but still miss) - the reality of the Devil, the power of waiting, and the truth of the Cross.
At the heart of the question of suffering and evil is a deeper, simpler question - why?
Christopher Ash writes;
This is the heart of the matter. Do you ask questions, and if you do, do you know this person at the heart of everything, this Jesus?
Another great set of examples of people asking questions is found in John’s Gospel - people ask all sorts of questions, as the author of the Gospel draws us on and closer to understanding who Jesus is. The shape of the text, the thrust of the Gospel, is designed to point us towards this person, this Jesus, this answer to the question you have who raises even more questions.
The Jesus we see in the Bible - the Jesus I believe we can know, who some of us claim to know, is big enough for your questions. The arms that flung stars into space, that surrendered to cruel nails, are arms that welcome you as you are, and dare you to ask and push and cry and look and explore. There are two things that I want to close by saying, which I think we can see in the way Jesus interacts with people, and can help us in thinking about questions and faith and God, and, well, everything.
Jesus didn't ask questions of only those he was with. He constantly challenged religious leaders. The religious leaders of Jesus' time have character traits that leaders in many spheres can fall into today. But rather than letting them have their palaces and power unchallenged, Jesus meets with them, challenging them, asking them and questioning the link between their beliefs and their practices. As Christians today, we need to be prepared to consider and question ourselves - even as we think and prepare so that we can respond to questions about our beliefs and practices.
One incident in the Gospels that deeply challenges me is found in Matthew 26:36-46. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus himself questions God. The Son asks the Father if it might be possible that he be spared. As readers, and as those with historical hindsight, we know the answer to that question. But Jesus is modelling something powerful.
Jesus models the value of questions throughout his ministry. He doesn't always answer - but he remains present. And when he isn't present, vindication is just around the corner. I am reminded of the narrative of the woman caught in adultery. Jesus is surrounded by questions. And yet he barely speaks. It is an infuriating - because we want resolution - but powerful event - because how Jesus resolves the situation is a challenge to how we so often think and live. I wonder whether there is something in Jesus' life that we can learn about the power of listening. Sometimes being present, hearing someones questions and concerns, and letting them talk - or even rant - can be incredibly important. I believe that can be infuriating but powerful.
I think it is vital to ask questions. In fact, I would go so far as to say that someone who doesn't ask questions and calls themselves a Christian has something new to learn. There is something powerful and important in the asking.
Think back to Gethsemane. Jesus asking the Father if he could, all things considered, possibly not die. There is true vulnerability here in Jesus' weeping. Asking allows us to open up, to be real, to be vulnerable with others. One of the great truths of Jesus coming to us is communication. The Bible. The Holy Spirit. Other Christians. Who we are is made for community, but by the medium of our bodies. Questions are a part of that. We can ask God questions in our prayers, merrily.
I hope this has unsettled you a bit. That is good, because Jesus came to highlight how broken the world is and at the same time start to fix it.
Questions are a vital part of a healthy faith that engages with the real world. What questions would you like to explore?
Someone you may have heard of called Stephen Fry was interviewed on Irish TV, and asked what he would ask God. His response, if you can remember that far back into 2015, was quite forceful! What has been more fun is that Fry’s rant - for that is, at the end of the day, what it was, however eloquent - has elicited a range of responses. Former and current Archbishops of Canterbury, theologians, vicars, even Russell Brand.
I start with Stephen Fry because, as Giles Fraser wrote in the Guardian, I don’t believe in the God that Stephen Fry doesn’t believe in either. Why would I? That God sounds awful. Limited. Ineffective. Inhuman. Cold.
I believe in a God best seen and known in the person of Jesus. And it is in light of this I want to talk a little about questions. Asking questions is a vital part of most of our experience of living and being human. And I think that asking questions - the freedom to do so, the chance to search for answers, and having a place to be confused - is at the heart of being a Christian in our culture. Don't get me wrong - I believe that there are a lot of answers - but the asking is vital.
Questions are an important part of most people's experience of God faith and the world. Consider the success of Alpha's format - questions about faith and meaning, and a brand with a big red question mark at its core.
I want to start a conversation, or offer an invitation, about big questions and posit to you what God thinks about our questions
The fundamental thing I want you to read, to understand from this post - whether you agree or not, whether you believe in God or not, is this: asking questions is an important part of faith in Jesus. Whether we know him or not.
I say this for two very simple reasons.
i - The Bible encourages us to ask questions
Yet the Bible is full of examples of people who spend their time asking questions.
For just one example, consider Job. A whole book of the Bible devoted to questions, of people, of God, of the way things are. And there are no small questions here.
In his excellent book on Job, 'Out of the Storm: Questions and Consolations from the Book of Job', Christopher Ash explores this theme:
“Why does a good God allow innocent suffering? Why does a just God act unfairly? Why does a sovereign God let disease and evil run rampant? These are not questions asked from the onlookers armchair, nor from the academics desk, but from the anguish of the sickbed and the frustration of the wheelchair”
At the heart of the question of suffering and evil is a deeper, simpler question - why?
Christopher Ash writes;
“The innocent One perished in the place of the guilty, so that we might not finally perish. In a profound sense, the sufferings of Job are the price to unlock grace. Or, to be more accurate, the sufferings that Job foreshadows will be the price paid by grace to unlock the gate of heaven. With their tidy impersonal theological doe, the comforters miss the heart of the universe”
Another great set of examples of people asking questions is found in John’s Gospel - people ask all sorts of questions, as the author of the Gospel draws us on and closer to understanding who Jesus is. The shape of the text, the thrust of the Gospel, is designed to point us towards this person, this Jesus, this answer to the question you have who raises even more questions.
ii - Jesus is big enough for our questions
When I was at University, the Christian Union ran evangelistic groups in halls called '9:20'. Though imperfect, at the heart of these groups was a brilliant vision. And that vision was taken from a question Jesus asked his disciples, a question that I believe echoes through the centuries and demands our answer today:
"'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say that I am?'"
One incident in the Gospels that deeply challenges me is found in Matthew 26:36-46. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus himself questions God. The Son asks the Father if it might be possible that he be spared. As readers, and as those with historical hindsight, we know the answer to that question. But Jesus is modelling something powerful.
Jesus models the value of questions throughout his ministry. He doesn't always answer - but he remains present. And when he isn't present, vindication is just around the corner. I am reminded of the narrative of the woman caught in adultery. Jesus is surrounded by questions. And yet he barely speaks. It is an infuriating - because we want resolution - but powerful event - because how Jesus resolves the situation is a challenge to how we so often think and live. I wonder whether there is something in Jesus' life that we can learn about the power of listening. Sometimes being present, hearing someones questions and concerns, and letting them talk - or even rant - can be incredibly important. I believe that can be infuriating but powerful.
iii - The Importance of Asking Questions
Think back to Gethsemane. Jesus asking the Father if he could, all things considered, possibly not die. There is true vulnerability here in Jesus' weeping. Asking allows us to open up, to be real, to be vulnerable with others. One of the great truths of Jesus coming to us is communication. The Bible. The Holy Spirit. Other Christians. Who we are is made for community, but by the medium of our bodies. Questions are a part of that. We can ask God questions in our prayers, merrily.
I hope this has unsettled you a bit. That is good, because Jesus came to highlight how broken the world is and at the same time start to fix it.
Questions are a vital part of a healthy faith that engages with the real world. What questions would you like to explore?
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As well as the aforementioned Alpha Courses, you may like to find a nearby Christianity Explored Course, or find a local church to ask questions at. If you are a University student, you could get in touch with the Christian Union on your campus. Let me know in the comments - I'd love to help connect you!
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