I had recently arrived in Luton, Bedfordshire, to take up the position of priest-in-charge at the Church of the Holy Cross, Marsh Farm. Ten days after arriving, I visited the town center for the first time. As I walked by the shopping mall, I was approached by two fresh-faced young men. One of them asked me, in an American accent, if I would mind answering one of their questions. (I wasn’t wearing my dog collar). What they asked me was this: “If you could ask God one question, what would that question be?” 

I stopped and considered their question. I felt confident I would know what to say; after all, this is my specialist subject. However, as the three of us stood there in silence, I couldn’t think of a single question I wanted to ask God. Their question had stumped me. Eventually, after thinking long enough, my reply came. In a moment I will tell you what it was.

Last week I lifted up Thomas the Apostle as a loyal companion of Jesus. One of Thomas’s characteristics was a willingness to ask questions. He does so not to be awkward or difficult, but because he wants to discover the truth. When Jesus tells the disciples that he is going to prepare a place for them, Thomas asks, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” This question draws from Jesus the definitive reply, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” (John 14:1-6)

I expect that my two patient American inquisitors - who I assumed were Jehovah’s Witnesses - were expecting me to ask why God permits suffering, or why does God punish good people while bad people run free. Those are the type of questions usually asked by skeptical people on the periphery of faith. As such, they are suitable for any group preparing candidates for confirmation.

The questions I have for God are related to my own relationship with God and are personal. That may have been the reason I was not willing to share them with the two strangers. From the evangelizers’ point of view, the reason for asking the question was to convert me. To this end, I expect they had formulaic and persuasive answers that would move the conversation onto the next level.

After careful thought, my reply came. It was not the one they were expecting. What I said was this, “I don’t think so much about the question I have for God, but more about the question he has for me.” The three of us resumed our silent pose.  As they pondered my answer, I realized they had no prepared response. After a while, reluctant to engage in further conversation, I took my leave and bid them both good day.

What question is God asking you? Instead of thinking of God as someone meeting your own needs, why not consider that God has need of you? Your answer may depend on where you are in your Christian journey. When you start out, God might simply be asking you, “do you believe any of this? I mean, what Jesus is saying, is any of it true?” 

The question for those further along the road might be different: “how do you show forth your faith in the life you lead? You say you are a Christian - very well, prove it.” Or perhaps you are a Christian who has been blessed with an abundance of faith, whose cup overflows with God’s grace and love. Then God might be asking you: “Do you believe I am with you even in your darkest hour?” 

All of these questions and more are put to us at different stages of our journey, and all are meant to test us. This testing is part of our growth as mature Christians. We are called to have a lively and informed faith, which means that we ask questions and learn to carry on without receiving all of the answers. 

Sadly, the Church has sometimes told its flock, “do as I say, and don’t ask questions.” I have met several people who have had this experience. It has the opposite effect of that intended, discouraging people from wholeheartedly accepting Christ into their lives. That is the way for people who require obedience without understanding. 

The root of this is fear, and the cure is to ask questions, however challenging. I remember the saying, “Jesus came to take away your sins, not your mind.” However, be prepared for God to ask you questions as well. A healthy relationship with God is always a two-way affair. Faith places demands on us, which is a good thing, because the point of Christianity is not to make us comfortable but to make us alive. 

Finally, let your questioning come from a place of love. After all, we are being called to follow a person, rather than a concept or an ideology. Christians follow and believe in the resurrected Jesus. That means our questioning is not merely on the intellectual level but reaches deep within our souls. In the exchange, God is showing us the way to become loving and wise Christians. What question is God asking you?

With Easter blessings,

Father David