I was praying about attending a recent conference when the Lord put this question into my mind.
I had no idea why people asked questions. Since I believe that God created me that way I am, I also believe that He gave me my abilities. This included my ability to ask questions.
One of the professionals I met at the conference, Amber, said that God gave us an ability to ask questions as an exercise of humility.
How profound! Yet, my insides screamed, “If only we looked at it that way!”
I have seen so many scientists ask questions to show off and seem smart, or even carefully construct questions to intimidate a speaker to show his or her ego is bigger than yours.
This exercise in humility has ironically been used as a defensive weapon to shield our insecurities, afraid that someone will notice our Goliath-sized imposter syndrome. So we ask questions to help us hide our insecurities as scientists rather than be free and humble enough to confront ourselves, our mistakes, and our work.
So I agreed wholeheartedly with Amber: God gives us the ability to ask questions so we can learn to be humble and vulnerable about our world and our role in the world as we seek answers to those questions.
“But why do we ask questions?” the Lord asked me again during the conference banquet.
We? So far I thought God has asked me that about humans alone!
“Lord, not only do I not know why I ask questions, I don’t know why YOU ask questions!” I answered. I mean, it’s God! Surely He does not need an exercise in humility beyond the death of Jesus on the cross for the sake of humanity! The once united trinity of Father, Son, Holy ghost was broken for a moment in response to humanity’s sin, and offered as a sacrifice on our behalf!
Why does God ask questions? Are we, who are made in the image of God, asking questions for the same reasons (minus the fact that we actually don’t know the answers)?
Another way of asking this version of the question is: Why would someone ask a question that they know the answer to?
One obvious human reason would be to show off and sound smart.
Another would be to cause fear as a response.
But my answer came during a lunch conversation where I realized, God asked Adam and Eve where they were (Genesis 3:9), Cain where his brother was (Genesis 4), and Sarah why she laughed about God’s promise of a son in her barren womb (Genesis 18), not because God wanted to show off or cause fear in their hearts.
God asks questions as an invitation for relationship with Him.
God invites us to ask questions.
God loves that we ask questions because He loves us!
God created humanity with an uncanny ability to ask the questions that even led us down the wrong path(s), but He still allowed the ability to ask questions to continue.
Jesus asked questions as a way to let the woman at the well know a) that he knew her life but most importantly, b) that He cared for her. He cared ABOUT her condition. (John 4)
The theology of fear and intimidation has nothing to do with the questions God asks humanity, and they should also not have anything to do with humanity asking questions about what is around us.
To take it a step further, what if humans asked questions as a way of relating to each other, to the world around them, and finally, as a way of relating to God?
Whether or not a scientist believes in Jesus, the act of asking a question, any question, is an exercise in relating to our Creator.
Asking questions helps humanity relate to God.
Do you agree with these assertions? I am open to your feedback. Please feel free to comment.
