Leaving the Questions

There was a time when I used to fear the questions. As teachers, as ministry leaders - we are supposed to be all about the Answer, right? Any questions I raised in the midst of discussions about where our life & our faith collided had to have an easily definable (if not clearly apparent) answer waiting in the shadows. Leave that class/group/meeting with questions still floating around and I was doing a disservice to the Gospel. Right?

The problem with the “Only Questions With Answers” mentality of teaching and leadership is that it holds little water in the face of today’s young adults. They know better than to assume that life is clear, unwavering, and simple. Life is complex, and often times is filled with more questions than answers.

So, how do you approach working with young adults who bring so much skepticism and mistrust for the idea of concrete truth to the table? Here are a few suggestions to help you along the way…

• Don’t be afraid to ask the questions

  The days of rote lecture and simply passing along facts and information are over—at least in the midst of the young adult generation. Anything that they don’t have to devote some energy and mental process to is probably not worth much in their minds. Sometimes the best thing you can do is to create breathing room in the midst of your teaching/leading for the asking of questions. Plan for it the next time you teach them. Allow room to not only ask the questions, but time for them to discuss their thoughts surrounding the questions.

  Many teachers play it safe too often because they fear losing control. We need to continually remind ourselves that at our best we are simply vehicles for the Holy Spirit. We can be sure He is raising questions in their hearts/minds - we just need to allow room for those to surface.

• Don’t be afraid to leave without answers

  Along with asking questions comes the temptation to tie everything up neatly before people start leaving. Don’t be afraid to ask the questions and then allow people to leave contemplating things on their own. I’d even suggest asking a question and then telling people to chew on it for the remainder of the week before you pick the discussion back up the following week.

  Remember that faith is a journey. We must learn to help young adults struggle through the issues that are being raised in their minds—most of which simply cannot be resolved in the midst of a 60-minute class or a 2-3 hour home group meeting.

• Don’t forget to revisit the questions

  While raising questions is important, don’t just allow them to float along on their own without providing guidance in the process. A weekly routine of asking thought-provoking questions and leaving young adults to pursue answers completely on their own can become a discouraging and possible cynicism-provoking process.

  When you come back together at your next meeting allow time to bring those questions back up and release young adults to discuss and share what they’ve discovered in the away time. Remember that we serve a big God and that we need other people’s stories and experiences to know Him more fully. The Bible, after all, is full of other people’s experiences that we learn from, and the Church is there to help provide for this shared journey.

  Approaching teaching from the “Answers With Questions” viewpoint can be more difficult—but it is more rewarding and effectual. Help young adults as they struggle and “continue to work our their faith” and you will create an environment where God can work in the midst of the questioning.