Faith Venture

Pointy-Haired Boss: Can I ask a dumb question?

Dilbert: There are no dumb questions.

Pointy-Haired Boss: When you delete software, where do all the ones and zeroes go?

Dilbert: I stand corrected.

Have you ever been subjected to one of those overly enthusiastic consultant type people where you waste a day “brainstorming” or “bonding” or whatever the fad du jour is? Or, an overly enthusiastic teacher maybe? “Go ahead. There are no dumb questions. Class, don’t laugh. All questions are good.”

Gimme a break. 

We should all know that good leaders ask questions.

Curious people ask questions.

Students of whatever age can ask questions where the sole purpose is to divert the teacher/leader away from the topic.

There is actually an art that requires reflective practice to becoming a good questioner.

I think it is a spiritual discipline.

Jesus taught by asking questions (it was the Rabbi style of the time). Read the Psalms. Full of questions. Even Paul who seemed to know everything about everything asked question.

Interestingly, I was way down this line of thinking this morning when I took a break and scanned email (I know, a bad thing to do). But I see Jon also thinking about questions. Jon’s one of those guys who asks good questions. You can’t blow them off without thinking. Check him out.

Today he asks, what do you ask God. 

Hmm. Do we approach God intentionally? Or do we just shoot up thoughts?

Thanks, Jon. Now I know what will be on my mind today.

Meanwhile, the thing about no dumb questions lies in intent. Do we ask questions to learn? A leader asks people in the organization about their ideas and dreams and how’s it going. Learners read something or hear something and ask hundreds of questions–how do you know that, what do you mean, what’s the definition of that word, who was involved, when did all that happen, why should we care, where did it take place.

Rudyard Kipling:

I KEEP six honest serving-men

 (They taught me all I knew);

Their names are What and Why and When 

 And How and Where and Who.

I was given a nickname at birth. Dad determined a nickname based upon a sports book he’d read. Mom came up with the full name. (For the curious, Dad named me “Al” after a book about a minor league pitcher by Ring Lardner. I’ve never read the book.)

Some nicknames are more natural. Surely every “Rhodes” family has a “Dusty”. Every Smith family must have a “Smitty”.

Do you know anyone who has a nickname derived from their character?

Suddenly a number of vulgar ones popped into my mind. But we’ll let them pass.

A speaker I listened to yesterday pointed out that Barnabas, the apostle, was really a nickname for Joseph. It meant encourager. 

Jacob in the Bible became Israel (one who struggles with God–there are other meanings, too, I guess). Simon became Peter (the rock). Abram became Abraham and Saul became Paul to signify life changing events.

In some places even today, they don’t name newborn babies. They wait to make sure they will live. That’s sad.

In many ancient cultures boys were given a sort of place holder name until they proved themselves one way or another and then they received a name befitting their character.

What would people call you? 

Maybe a name for you to grow into?

Or, a reflection of who you have become?

I hope it’s a good one.

That’s what she told me. No offense, but you’re a man. 

She was visibly emotional and she knew not why.

I wouldn’t understand, she implied, because of my gender–or maybe the culture of my gender. I don’t know. I don’t understand.

But actually, I understand. I’m not unemotional. 

There is either a gender or a cultural difference. Some people get emotional and cry. Others get emotional and show anger.

I try to avoid or deal with both.

Some you can’t avoid. Births, deaths, tragedies.

When my meditation was taking me deeper, I discovered the writings of the Desert Fathers. I knew the Fathers existed, I just didn’t realize I could actually get my hands on their books.

Did they talk about the mystical union with God? Ecstatically taken into the Seventh Heaven as some called it?

Actually what they talked about, aside from God and Jesus, was the psychology of emotions. How one emotion leads to another and then to another. And how to deal with them such that they don’t control your life.

But sometimes a good cry is the release you need at the moment. Beware the times when anger is the release of the moment. That hurts others, as well as yourself.

I had a conversation recently where it was implied that a person who had good qualities in one area would therefore have good qualities in another.

This happens all the time. 

There are people who are famous for being famous–Kardashians, Jenkners, Paris Hilton, and so on. They endorse some product, and we assume since they are famous that the product must be good. Except the (very) fine print may state that they are being paid to endorse the product.

We do that with athletes and Hollywood stars. Because they are good at one thing, we accept their expertise in something else–maybe politics for instance.

When you are choosing a guru to follow, do you go for famous? Or, do you look for someone who reinforces your existing prejudices? Or, someone who stretches your spirituality?

Do you let the baseball player tell you how to interpret New Testament Greek?

I’ve thought about this before. 

I like to make conscious and mindful choices about what news to read as well as whom to trust with influencing my theology. I might read widely, but I’ll come back to ancient thinkers and writers and especially the Bible itself for the test of what to believe.

You are probably going to be a disciple of someone. Choose wisely.