Faith

“… faith is as much about questions as it is about answers. It is possible to be a believer and a listener at the same time, to be both fervent and searching, to honor the truth of one’s own convictions and the mystery of the convictions of others.”
--Krista Tippett in Speaking of Faith: Why Religion Matters and How to Talk About It

As a hospital chaplain, I have experienced the truth of this statement. Many hospital patients search for meaning; and, as a result, there are questions. Some questions have no answers, especially the question of “why”. Tony Snow, former White House Press Secretary who has recently died of cancer, said it the best,

“The first is that we shouldn't spend too much time trying to answer the "why" questions: Why me? Why must people suffer? Why can't someone else get sick? We can't answer such things, and the questions themselves often are designed more to express our anguish than to solicit an answer.”

I don't know why I have cancer, and I don't much care. It is what it is, a plain and indisputable fact. Yet even while staring into a mirror darkly, great and stunning truths begin to take shape. Our maladies define a central feature of our existence: We are fallen. We are imperfect. Our bodies give out.

But despite this, - or because of it, - God offers the possibility of salvation and grace. We don't know how the narrative of our lives will end, but we get to choose how to use the interval between now and the moment we meet our Creator face-to-face.” (http://www.jknirp.com/snow.htm)

Snow’s statement is very practical. It is letting go of what you cannot control and responding to what you can. As Krista Tippett said faith is not all about answers. That’s why it’s called faith rather than knowledge. One of the things chaplains are trained to do is share the questions with those who are struggling, thus, accompanying them in their personal journey to find meaning. When we only give people answers, we may shortcut their own spiritual development. When we only want answers ourselves, we shortcut our relationship and experience with the mystery of God.

May our faith include some unanswered questions, and may we grow closer to the greater mysteries of the Divine!
 

Chaplain Joseph F. Perez, M.Div., BCC joe.perez@valleybaptist.net