When to say "I don't know, but..."

Let me tell you a story that I heard today...

There once was a kid named Steve. He was incredibly bright and always was questioning things. His family attended a Lutheran Church. Because of his nature, one day Steve was thinking about things and different questions which led him to his pastor's office with two simple questions. "Pastor, does God know when I lift up my pinky finger and when I put it down?" Steve said as he motioned his fingers in intentional matter. "Yes, Steve, God knows everything, even when you move your finger up and down" Having a brilliant and inquisitive mind, Steve then slipped out the magazine in his back pocket and laid in front of his pastor. On the cover was this picture:

"Pastor, does God know about the starving kids in this picture?". The pastor again replied, "Yes, Steve, God knows everything and we must trust Him." This simple and innocent answer changed everything for Steve. He found it so calloused and short. He was hurt by this answer. He had questions and this insensitive and cliche answer was not satisfying. That day, Steve walked out of the church and never again attended a Christian Church. You see the simple answer destroyed the faith of the questioning and doubting teenager.

This teenager would grow up to become one of the world's most recognizable figures, Steve Jobs. Steve died in 2011 as a professing Zen Buddhist. 

As we heard the story today at one of our Young Life training classes, the speaker talked theoretically about what it would've looked like if the pastor decided to say that day, "Yes God does know about the starving kids and I don't know why He allows it to happen, but I would love for us to talk through it together..." What if the pastor that day decided to be real and authentic. What if the pastor that day decided to put aside his professional Christian attitude and admit that he didn't know, instead of using the copout (albeit true) that we must trust God in everything. What if Steve Jobs used his influence and wealth, that changed the world, for the spreading of Christ's name. How different our world would be.

I would be lying if I said I didn't have my doubts and questions. I've heard the short answers over and over. I've heard the vain attempts of human intelligence try to figure out divine reasoning. Doubt in itself isn't toxic to faith. What is toxic to faith, is that when doubt becomes unexpressed doubt. When our spaces become unsafe to express these questions and doubt. It becomes toxic when we, as Jesus Followers, act like we have everything figured out. Lee Strobel, author of Case for Christ, put it this way,

“For many Christians, merely having doubts of any kind can be scary. They wonder whether their questions disqualify them being a follower of Christ. They feel insecure because they’re not sure whether it’s permissible to express uncertainty about God, Jesus, or the Bible. So they keep their questions to themselves—and inside, unanswered, they grow and fester . . . until they eventually succeed in choking out their faith.”

In fact, some of the most influential and well known Jesus followers experienced doubt. It must be talked about and we must come to the conclusion that we have the permission to say, "I don't know, but..."

Why are there kids starving in Africa? "I don't know, but..."

Why are terrorists killing people? "I don't know, but..."

Why did the Lord say that my grandmother was healed of cancer only for it to return less than a year later and kill her? "I don't know, but..."

Notice the "but..." Thats there for a reason. It's there to help guide us in community in attempting to answer these questions the best of our ability while on this side of Glory. 

Why are there kids starving in Africa? "I don't know, but Psalm 34:19 says that many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them all."

Why are there terrorists killing people? "I don't know, but Romans 12:21 says do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil by doing good"

Why did the Lord say that my grandmother was healed of cancer only for it to return less than a year later and kill her? "I don't know, but Revelation 14:13 says that those who die in the Lord are blessed because they labor no more.

Please, I beg and urge you, Christians. Let's start taking the path of humility and confessing that we don't have all the answers. We don't know a lot about God and theres some answers that will never be revealed until we see him face to face. 

Jesus is big enough to take on our questions and doubts....and if He isn't, then we need a new Jesus.