I've been curious

This Sunday during worship I'm giving the members of my congregation the opportunity to ask a question which they have pondering.  I'm going to see what happens when people can text in questions. 

I have some questions that I’d like answered.  Some of these questions are deep, questions that people have been asking through the ages.  Others are just things that I can’t figure out.  They are in no particular order.  I’d love to hear how you’d respond to any of these, leave a comment or email me at john@newsharonumc.org.

• Why do we say mean things to those we love most that we’d never consider saying to a stranger?
• Why do young people full of potential suffer and die, while aged folks who have lived their lives and are ready for heaven linger?
• Why are Americans who have so much sadder than people who live in impoverished countries?
• Is there life on other planets?
• Why did God create the universe that is mostly invisible to the human eye?
• How do people fall in love?
• Why does the largest animal, the blue whale feed on one of the smallest, krill?
• Why does doing the right thing often seem hard, while doing the wrong thing comes so easily?
• Why is it that we know a lot of people, but have so few good friends?
• Why can I birdie one hole and get a triple bogey on the next?
• Why is reading a novel easy while reading the Bible takes real effort?
• Where are all the technological changes leading us?
• Why are TV’s getting larger and smaller at the same time?
• How can some people suffer much and remain happy and positive and others, including me, complain at the slightest inconvenience?
• How can Congress that oversees the Post Office which loses billions of dollars a year doing the simple task of delivering a letter possibly oversee something as complex as the health care system without major cost overruns?

Comments

[robert battern]

The answers to many of your questions are that we are humans living in an imperfect world and have not yet understood all that Jesus was telling us. The answer to the golf question is that you don't keep your head down!:-)

[John B]

Thanks for the answers, Dad. We'll see how the golf advice works out when you & I play tomorrow.

[Michael P. Daniel]

A good many of these questions can be answered by suggesting that we American Christians have completely disengaged ourselves from the life of a genuine disciple. Our lives are more inwardly focused, primarily geared toward the so-called "American Dream" which, in reality, has turned into a nightmare. We look a lot like the puppy that never quite catches his tail but nevertheless wears himself out trying! Like the pup, we don't really get it.

As for your last question regarding the Congress, the short answer is they can't. But this does not mean they cannot continue to buy votes by offering more freebies and then "do the responsible thing" by raising taxes. Worse, the nation will fall for it.

Hope your golf game improves!

[Josh Battern]

I know I am a long way behind this conversation, but I finally had an entire day free without any kids or traveling so I had the chance to catch up on reading your blog. I don't have answers for all your questions, but here's a couple.

Americans are sad for one giant reason, the media. The same reason you are so upset about the healthcare system that may or may not be coming our way. We know so much as a society that we don't trust anyone. Therefore, we pick and pick and pick until we find something to be angry or sad about and that's what we telecast. This is why our presidents of old are so celebrated and why recent presidents can barely get a 50 percent approval rating.

I'm not saying people shouldn't be informed, I'm just saying when you look for things to be upset by, it's easy to find them. The good news is that if you look for things to be happy about, it's pretty easy to find those too.
This also, applies to those small inconviences that can get under our skin. When you look at it as an inconvience, you've already lost the battle. We must train ourselves not to brood on the little stuff, for if we do, when something big comes up we don't stand a chance.

As far as your golf game goes, it is clearly your inconsistent putting. Spend a little more time on the practice green, and maybe next time the four of us play you won't be begging for a roll on the last hole.

Love,
~Josh

ps Happy Birthday! Sorry I am couple days late this is the first I have been to the library all week.