Asking Questions with Care & Diligence

There’s no denying it, the world in which we live is growing more divided, more isolated, and more disconnected. Over the last several months I’ve found myself wondering how the Church combats such trends. More particularly, I’ve found myself wondering how we, as First Presbyterian Church in Lewistown, MT, combat the trends right here in our own community.

Come and See by Rev. Lisle Gwynn Garrity, A Sanctified Art

I, in conversation with other pastors and leaders, have been asking questions such as, “How do we better listen to one another? And not just listen so that we can respond (or argue), but to hear and understand? How do we foster connection with one another despite physical and/or ideological distance? How do we create space for compassionate dialogue and for seeking the holy in one another?”

Solutions to the challenges of our world and culture might feel daunting, but I’ve found the questions to be simply.

Courageous conversations begin with simple questions and the curiosity to truly listen.

Think about it, some of the best conversations start with good questions – questions we’ve been meaning to ask, questions that keep us curious, and questions that lead us deeper into courage and connection.

On Sunday, in worship, we’ll begin a new sermon series centered around four guiding questions: “I’ve been meaning to ask…Where are you from?...Where does it hurt?...What do you need?...Where do we go from here?”

You can probably tell, these aren’t surface level questions; they invite us to tell our stories, share our pain, care for one another, and dream about a new way forward together.

These questions invite us to be curious.

In English, curiosity has a connotation of nosiness or intrusiveness. But the Latin root, ‘curious,’ means ‘diligence’ or ‘careful.’ And a related Latin word, ‘cura’ means ‘care.’ Curiosity, then, is about asking questions with care and diligence.

I’ve been meaning to ask…Where are you from?...Where does it hurt?...What do you need?...Where do we go from here?

These questions alone might not resolve our divisions and differences. But they will invite us to behold each other as images of the divine and strengthen our capacity for empathy and compassion.

There is power in asking unassuming questions, of being curious. For such questions invite us into deeper connection with God and with one another.

Grace and peace,

Kimmy