Have you ever thought about why we know what we know?
Or what about why you do what you do?
Think about why you brush your teeth in the morning? I, like most people, brush my teeth for clean breath and a white smile. But have you ever wondered how or why we thought to brush our teeth in the first place? Who thought to themselves, “Wow, I should really stick this object in my mouth and rub it against my teeth?” Whoever did seems a tad weird if you ask me.
If we were to count the number of things we do on a daily basis without questioning them, we would be astounded. Day after day, we operate without question. Do you know how Isaac Newton discovered gravity? The Myth says that one day as Newton sat in a field questioning the forces of nature, he witnessed an apple fall from a tree. That single moment sparked a question in him, one which led to the discovery of gravity and many other scientific theories. What would have happened if Newton resisted his inner questioning? We may still, like the people of Newton’s day, be thinking that an apple thrown hard enough would keep going indefinitely until it left earth’s atmosphere. Needless to say, the curious mind and heart of Newton contributed to some of the most foundational pieces of scientific knowledge ever to be discovered.
Newton’s story convinces me of one fact: those who question open themselves to deep levels of knowing.
Questioning doesn’t have to mean irreversible cynicism or skepticism; rather, it grants us an inner understanding of the workings of the world, ourselves and others. If we never question, we’ll never know. It is true that we can never know all that we question, but that doesn’t mean we should give up questioning altogether. Many who ignore the inner promptings to question become cold, arrogant, and close-minded. Is it any wonder that some of the coldest, most arrogant people are also those who profess religious faith?
Now, don’t get me wrong. Having faith does not mean you become an arrogant brute. In fact, religious people can be the most humble souls you’ll ever meet. Unfortunately, the sweet scent of humility is often overpowered by the overly-confident ones who feel they’ve “figured it all out.” These are the type of people who have an automated response to all of life’s questions. A shooting in Orlando happens, and they view it as an outpouring of God’s wrath toward the homosexual community. We all know the kid at the lunch table or the rigid parent who is quick to argue his or her thoughts to anyone who thinks differently. It’s their way or the highway. To question life is, to them, one of the greatest atrocities. There is a way the world works, how religion works, and most of all, how God works. Analyzing faith and religion when it’s juxtaposed by a waking reality that seems to pull at the very threads of the concepts it holds to, in and of itself, is utterly sinful. How then can one even become the humble man?
Isn’t it obvious?
Questioning is the answer. The one who is able to look at life with the curious head tilt of wonder is the one who opens himself to the deepest level of knowing. As he questions why the world is the way it is, he learns about nature. As he questions why people are the way they are, he unearths the most buried cores of humanity. As he questions himself, he gleans grain after grain of self-awareness. And finally, as he questions all these aspects in relation to God, he allows himself the discovery of spiritual intimacy and truth. The one willing to question is also the one who is willing to know.
Questioning in the storm of suffering, world turmoil, heartache, and every other curve ball life brings cultivates a certain kind of humility like nothing else does. We question, and yet we often find no answer. Other times, we question only to stumble upon solutions that are less than impressive. When we continue to hold to our beliefs and walk the road of life, while retaining an open mind and heart, humility sets in. It is here in the realm of questioning that allows one to discover his true Faith and have faith in what is True.
I, though a professing Christian, find myself constantly questioning life, myself, people and God. I question if God is truly loving. I question if a God who constantly demands worship, is in a way, a bit of a narcissist. I wonder if God is really good when I’ve had to go through so much suffering.
In the midst of this journey to find answers, I found a song that every religious person, especially Christians, needs to hear: “Jesus, Jesus” by Noah Gundersen. Never have I encountered a more honest song chronicling the struggle to discover Truth and God in the midst of the world that’s full of questions than Gundersen’s.
At first, it made me uneasy. I wanted to answer all his questions with answers I believed were true. But in the end, I realized that questioning is okay, questioning is good and most of all, questioning is humble. We all need to come to the place where we are okay with questioning, be it our own or others. Life sucks, the world is hard and we ourselves are more messed up then we’d like to admit. If that reality doesn’t make you question, then consider taking a step back and reevaluate the world a little bit.
Maybe this song will help you, as it helped me, become okay with questioning. Maybe it will give you the space you need to cry about life and the pain in your heart. Or maybe it will give you a needed glimpse into people's questioning hearts that you walk past each and every day.
After all, we all have the ability to be the next Newton. All that stands between us and the deep knowing we yearn for is the courageous choice to question. So will you?
