A Questioning Time

by Christine Sine

In The Gift of Wonder, I talk about how kids are constantly questioning. They nag at us until they get an answer, sometimes lots of answers. Often I feel that the question is more important than the answer. What they are needing is a listening ear and the permission to stretch their enquiring minds beyond the boundaries that have been set for them. Sometimes I thing that we as adults need the same kind of permission. We should be constantly asking questions, pushing towards new horizons of insight and of understanding.

The photo above made me think of how all of us get stranded at times on rocks that we are afraid to leave. We don’t want to get our feet wet by asking uncomfortable questions. And yet to grow our faith we need.

So with that said here is another questioning poem that has come out of my contemplation in the last few days.

Why do we look without seeing,
Listen with hearing,
Touch without feeling,
Too busy to notice
what God has created
all around?

It’s easy to stagnate
and lose our way
when things go wrong.
To sit in frozen fear
retreat and don’t advance
when risk and uncertainty
engulf me.

My heart cries out
Why now? What next?
I can’t, I won’t.
I don’t want to.

Until I lift my eyes
towards the light
and see the loving face
of God,
writhed in smilies and laughter,
gently calling,
beckoning with joy.
ask whatever you will.
Move forward,
let your spirit fly.
To live is risk.