Phillip A. Bishop
Kinesiology
University of Alabama
As profs we can be quick to speak, in contrast to the scriptural admonition: “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19).
If We Don’t Speak Too Much
James has something to teach us. Most people we encounter in the university will talk if we don’t speak too much ourselves. By asking good questions, we invite them to talk themselves into a relationship. At first it may be just talking with us, but then it may lead to a relationship with Christ.
When I meet with Chris, a seeker on our campus, I typically ask him questions: “What are your objections to the existence of God? What sort of proof could God give you that would be convincing? IF you believed in God, how would it impact the rest of your life?”
With a little practice and thought, we can learn to use questions to help our most hostile colleagues to recognize their typically self-contradictory philosophical positions of relativism and universalism.
Randy Newman of Campus Crusade wrote an excellent book, Questioning Evangelism. He says that beyond declaring the Gospel and defending it, we also need to know how to dialogue about it: “this skill of giving and taking – asking questions and bouncing ideas back and forth – might be just what our postmodern audience needs.”
Our Best Chance To Be Christ-like
I’m trying to practice asking Christ-like questions at every opportunity. In fact, for many of us, our best chance to be Christ-like is in the area of questions.
Christ asked many questions:
- To empathize — “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” Luke 10:36
- To investigate — “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.” Luke 18:19
- To illuminate — “John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?” Matt 21:25
- To agitate — “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them,”I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.” Matthew 21:31
We can do the same, but it takes practice.
We can practice the art of asking questions just as Christ did, if we set about to do so and ask God to educate us. Practice makes perfect, and practice makes permanent, and practice of the appropriate habits can make us more Christ-like.
Isn’t it worth the effort? As Matthew tells us: “He who has ears, let him hear (11:15).”
(c) 2005 Phillip A. Bishop