Live Your Way Into An Answer

Rainer Maria Rilke in “ Letters to a Young Poet” writes

“ Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far into the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer”.

Jesus Encourages to Think for Yourself

Questions are integral to the journey of life and faith. It is how we search and come to knowledge and understanding. In questioning, doors are opened. Sometimes we find answers, or partial ones but more often than not we are led to more questions and we move deeper and deeper into that place of becoming. Jesus knew this and constantly used questions as part of his teaching. Folks would come to him seeking answers and he rarely gave them a straight answer. More typically Jesus encouraged his hearers to think for themselves, he asked them a question and invited them on a journey of discovery.

John Shelby Spong writes

“ the Christian life is a journey and people ought to enjoy it. The people that think they have arrived are the ones that always get un into trouble. Anytime somebody thinks the journey is over and they have finally achieved the truth, they always put the wagons in a circle and begin to defend their truth against all concerns and in the process kill one another. There is nothing about the Christian life that says it is complete. It is ultimately a journey into the mystery of God.”

Constant Questioning

Being in this place of constant questioning may feel unnerving for some. We live in a world that seeks instant gratification and life is much easier when there is a definitive answer. Yet some theologians would say that questioning , seeking, delving into the ambiguity and learning to live there is how we remain open, active, part of the adventure and ultimately open to the mystery of the Divine. The story of faith is one that has not yet come to its completion and the challenge is to follow the story as it is evolving. In their book “ Living the Questions” David Felten and Jeff Procter-Murray write

“ Relying solely on doctrines and dogmas passed on from others has seldom been a satisfying exercise for those longing for something deeper spiritually or thought-provoking theologically. To not ask questions is tantamount to forfeiting one’s own spiritual birthright and allowing other people’s experience of the Divine to define your experience.”

My Prayer for Each of You

My prayer for each of us is that we will have the courage to enter into the ambiguity and open our beings to the Divine mystery. May we grow in spirit and in truth!

Blessings
Valerie