don’t wait until it’s too late

I’ve developed a workshop on questions. I show my many cartoons on powerpoint while I talk about what I think are different questions. I use the analogy of a doorway with hinges to represent the three kinds of questions:

1. closed: These questions have yes or no answers. They are the questions with simple answers that children love. Is there a God? Is there a heaven? Am I saved? Did Jonah really get swallowed by a whale? Yes or no. You can’t stay here. It is only the first step.
2. swinging: These questions are ambiguous. They are a step removed from closed questions. This represents a very anxious time for people as the firm categories in their minds begin to get challenged. Is this person who is so good and gracious but isn’t a Christian still going to Hell? If we have concluded it is unjust to condemn homosexuals, then what does the bible have to say about morality in our time? These questions are disruptive and begin to open the mind to mystery
3. open: These questions are without a clear answer. They are open precisely because they continually let the air of mystery in. There is no yes or no answer, but neither are they filled with anxiety. What does it mean if there’s no God “up there”? Are the Buddhists right that the soul is a mental construct of the ego? If there is such a thing as immortality, what does it look like? The mature understand that these questions don’t need answers. They are comfortable with the mystery and experience a peace that transcends certainty.

Where do you find yourself right now?