Living The Questions

 

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves... Live the questions now.”
— Rainer Maria Rilke

Years ago, I had a crisis of faith that shook me to the core, and left me reeling over what to believe about God, the Bible, Christianity, and the Church.  

All of the certainty that I had felt about my beliefs came apart seemingly overnight.  It was one of the most disorienting times of my life, especially as a pastor who had to keep preaching every Sunday.  

What I learned during that season of deconstructing and then reconstructing my faith was that certainty was something that had actually kept me from growing spiritually.  

I also learned that living with questions, maintaining an openness to change, and embracing curiosity were challenging and scary, but also created a spiritual path that drew me closer to the Divine.  

Most of us prefer answers.

Answers feel secure. They provide clarity and direction. Questions, by contrast, can feel uncomfortable. They expose uncertainty and require patience.

Yet some of life's most important questions cannot be answered quickly.

Questions about purpose.

Questions about suffering.

Questions about love.

Questions about God.

Questions about what comes next.

Rainer Maria Rilke's famous counsel invites us into a different relationship with uncertainty. Rather than rushing toward resolution, he encourages us to "live the questions."

This idea is echoed throughout Scripture.

Abraham leaves home without knowing exactly where he is going.

The disciples follow Jesus without understanding everything he is doing.

Even after the resurrection, questions remain as the Gospel accounts reveal that after seeing the risen Christ, "some doubted."

Faith is not certainty about everything.

Faith is trust amid uncertainty.

Curiosity as a spiritual practice teaches us to remain open to growth. It reminds us that some truths unfold slowly over time. Some lessons can only be learned through experience.

The Apostle Paul writes, “For now we see only a reflection, as in a mirror” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Human understanding is finite. We do not see the whole picture.

And yet God remains faithful, loving, and full of grace.

The wisdom of curiosity is that it allows us to keep growing. It keeps us from becoming rigid or closed-hearted. It invites us to trust that God can meet us not only in answers, but also in questions.

Some questions may accompany us for years.

That is not a failure of faith; it may be part of how faith grows.

And perhaps the goal is not to solve every mystery.

Perhaps the goal is to walk faithfully with God through them.

Prayer

God of wisdom and mystery, teach me to trust you in seasons of uncertainty. Give me patience with unanswered questions and help me remain open to growth, discovery, and deeper understanding. Amen.

Reflection Questions

1. What question are you currently living with?
2. How do you typically respond to uncertainty?
3. What might God be teaching you through a question that remains unanswered?