Questioning is the lifeblood of faith. It’s like feeding oxygen to the brain. Without questioning, faith is untilled soil.
There are countless stories of some very serious questioning in the life of faith of many of the saints who have gone before us. St. John of the Cross called his time of deepest questioning, “the dark night of the soul.” And even Jesus experienced what is called “the agony in the garden,” where “he threw himself on the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible let this cup pass from me.” (Matthew 26:39)
Questioning faith is what leads us deeper and deeper into the mystery we can never fully know. That mystery is God; the maker and sustainer of our life here on earth.
In my own United Methodist tradition, John Wesley found a balance in seeking a life of faith. It is fed and informed by Scripture, tradition, reason and experience. It has come to be known as the Wesleyan quadrilateral.
As a human creation of God, using reason based on experience is one of the best ways to deepen the life of faith. The questioning is a natural and necessary process in the faith journey.
Maybe the best example of the role of questioning in faith comes from an unnamed man in a crowd. He brought his possessed son to Jesus in hopes of healing. “I believe,” cries out the unnamed man, “help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)
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