questions - not questioning

Keith's sermon last week was all about questions, "Who do people say that I am?" "Who do you say that I am?" Questions help us learn. Questions help us teach. And yet. And yet questions have become almost a bad thing in the 21st century American Church.

Jesus' disciples were on the way to Jerusalem with him, and once again, he tells them the plan that they don't want to hear. "I'm going to die and on the third day rise again." Mark tells us that they didn't understand, but were afraid to ask him what he was talking about.

Why?

Why were they, and why are we so afraid to ask God questions? Why are we so afraid to ask our priests questions about God, or about what they say about God?

Questions are fine. Questioning... well even questioning our faith, from time to time, is ok. It is how we learn. It is how we grow. It is how we develop. Had the disciples gathered the courage to ask Jesus what he was talking about, maybe they would have avoided the argument about who was the greatest and realized it ain't about greatness - its about childlike humility.

Come to think of it, children are pretty good at asking quesitons. Why? Why? Why?