Last weekend, we watched the mini-series Under the Banner of Heaven, which is a true crime show based on the book of the same title by Jon Krakauer. It’s a story of a brutal murder that occurs in a Mormon community and of one of the protagonists, Detective Jeb Pyre, who is also a Mormon experiencing a crisis of faith as he investigates the murder. Now, as a disclaimer, I have not read Under the Banner of Heaven, yet, nor have I done any research regarding Mormonism. That being said, Rach grew up in a community which was predominantly Mormon, and there were many things in the show which she attested to as accurate from her experience having grown up with friends who were Latter Day Saints.
There were a variety of elements of the show that were, I suppose you could say “triggering,” based on some of our personal experience and from the stories others have shared with us from working and serving in Christian ministry. Thus, aspects of the show oddly resonated with us. One of these aspects is asking the hard questions about faith and the church. In the show, there is this theme of when someone is asking questions about their faith, they are told that those questions should be left on the shelf.
Why are we so threatened by the asking of questions?
Are we afraid to ask questions?
How do we respond when someone asks us a question about Christianity?
Where can we go with our questions?
Asking questions is a good thing. It is one of the primary ways in which we learn and begin to understand the world around us. It is how we grow, maybe even mature. Throughout the Bible, you see many people seeking to understand God and his ways, the state of the world, and how to find their way to God in the midst of everything. From Abraham, Job, Moses, and David to John the Baptist, the disciples, and even Jesus. Yes, Jesus, the Son of God, who upon the cross asks in anguish, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
The Christian faith is not a static faith, blind faith. It is a dynamic faith, a living faith. As Jesus called people to believe, he also issues the challenge, “Do you have ears to hear and eyes to see?” Is part of having eyes to see and ears to hear, asking questions? Isn’t the asking of questions, sincere questions, essentially faith seeking understanding?
When John the Baptist is imprisoned, he struggled with his expectation of who Jesus was. The same John who leapt in the womb when his mother, Elizabeth, encountered Mary who was pregnant with Jesus. The same John who baptized Jesus and witnessed heaven invading earth at the baptism. When in prison he sends messengers to Jesus to ask “Are you the one we are looking for or should we look for another?” In one of my favorite sermons by Dr. Sean McDonough, he makes the point that John’s question is not an expression of doubt but one of faith, because he cares about God and his kingdom and the people of God.
So where do we go with our questions? I think that the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of the cosmos might be big enough to handle our doubts, our fears, our searching. In fact, I believe he wants us to bring our questions to him.
How do we respond to the questions of fellow sojourners? Skeptics? Those who are seeking understanding? Those who disagree? Are we threatened? I hope that above all, as a follower of Jesus, I am approachable, that people who have those questions, especially the hard ones, feel comfortable asking them. And I pray that God would give me wisdom and the ability to hear, understand, and respond, even if the answer is “I don’t know” or “I disagree,” but at the very least, let me walk alongside you on this road that leads to the One who can handle anything you have to ask.