Ask me a question and I will have an answer. It's a character flaw. I ALWAYS have an answer.
When my children were two years old...
"Momma, what is that?", "a microwave, it helps Mommy cook food."
"Momma, what is that?", "a train, it helps people travel to far away places."
"Momma, what is that?", "a telephone, it helps us talk to people who are not here right now.
"Why?"
Ah, the "why" question. How I know it well.
Now that my children are a little older, their questions have become harder to answer...
"Momma, who was Princess Diana and how did she die?", "she was a nice, English lady that married the prince and was killed in a car accident."
"Momma, what is a bigot?", "someone who doesn't like you for being born who you are."
"Momma, what is the gestational period for the great white shark?", "(sigh) I'll have to get back to you on that one."
Sometimes, I'm not quite sure of the answer, but I feel I MUST have all the answers for my children. So, I muddle my way through and hope I get it right; or at least close to right.
"Momma, why did Jesus die for my sins?" Here is where you would insert a 30 minute conversation where I try desperately to explain to an eight year old the same concepts that millions of people around the world still debate. There are, just to name a few -
- Ethical answers
- Ethnic answers
- Biblical answers
- Confessional answers
- Apologetical answers (is that even a word? LOL!)
- Constructive answers
- Contextual answers
- Dogmatic answers
- Philosophical answers
- Scientific answers
- ect.
At some point, my child will interrupt me with the request "Can I go play now?"
Yup, I blew that one! My Marty is always telling me that I don't need to have an answer for everything. And sometimes, he's right! Last week, while I was braiding my Magdalena's hair, she asked me "Momma, how do airplanes fly?" Well, I answered her with my limited understanding of aerodynamics, filling in the gaps with my own logic and trying to do it with an air of authority. But I could tell, she knew that I didn't know. Marty is right, I don't need to have an answer for everything.
I think, as christians, this can apply. There are too many answers for too many questions. And these answers and questions have split church after church, denomonation after denomonation.
I'm not saying that we shouldn't ask the questions, I just simply saying that sometimes, it's okay to leave it to the theologians to argue and defend the text.
I don't have to have all of the answers, it's not my answers that pleases the Lord... it's my faith.
- I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
- I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
- He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
- He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
- He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again.
- He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
- He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
- I believe in the Holy Spirit,
- the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,
- the forgiveness of sins,
- the resurrection of the body,
- and life everlasting.
For I am justified by faith, not of my own understanding.
Blessings+
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