The one thing being both a child and a teacher has taught me is how to be a lifelong learner. As a kid everything is new. It\u2019s why you ask so many questions. Why does the moon look like it\u2019s full of holes? What\u2019s an apology? What\u2019s an asparagus and why should I care? Where do I put this Band-Aid I found at the park (answer: nowhere. Don\u2019t ever touch a Band-Aid that isn\u2019t yours).<\/em> It\u2019s the same when you become a teacher. Students know when you think you already know everything. They don\u2019t want an expert on Brave New World<\/em>. They want a fellow spelunker down into that scarily prescient world. They want a traveler to walk alongside them, not a tour guide. Nobody listens to the tour guides.<\/p>\n By common connotation in the modern world, Christians have come to be known as know-it-alls. We are hypocritical, presumptuous, unyielding, old-fashioned people who plod along behind the modern world. We stick to archaic principles from a dusty tome, and therefore, we cannot possibly understand the current climate.<\/p>\n We get curious with the Bible in our quiet times, in our daily devotional, in our Sunday school class. But whether it\u2019s out of fear or insecurity or paranoia, we pull down the shades in public. I never claim to know all the answers, but I do not share my honest questions as much as I should with people outside my circle.<\/p>\n Yes, the Bible is sacred truth. But to wonder aloud, to approach with curiosity and work through the unknowns, is not blasphemy. It is taking the necessary steps to make it real. Paul was often didactic. He was the kid who raised his hand first and always in class. But he was endlessly curious too after his conversion on that dusty road (heat index probably upper 90s). He loved to be around every kind of person, both \u201cGreek and non-Greek\u201d, both \u201cwise and foolish.\u201d I think we need to do the same and share our \u201copen thoughts\u201d which is what these Open Sunday Thoughts are all about. It\u2019s okay to wonder aloud. It makes you a pilgrim on the journey. You haven\u2019t reached the end yet. And if you don\u2019t want to walk the road alone, you need to talk to the other travelers.<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n
Curiosity: I think this is perhaps the most underrated quality in a Christian.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Here\u2019s what I have to say to that: it\u2019s become a paradigm for a reason.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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I think we should share our questions with the wide world.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Sunday Thoughts Link Up!<\/strong><\/h1>\n
It’s time for another Sunday Thoughts Link-Up! I know there are many out there with wisdom that could encourage all of us. As long as it’s faith-based, I’d love for you to join up and then read and comment on what others have shared. Please also leave a comment here. Think of this as a Sunday morning community group that comes to you. And grab the button if you like…<\/strong><\/h3>\n