Lately I’ve been thinking about how there is really something beautiful and mysterious in learning a lesson from a child. Beautiful because it often touches you right where you needed to be touched, and mysterious because I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand exactly when or how we come to leave behind the simplicities of childhood in favor of the complexities of adulthood.
Recently, I was especially struck by the wisdom of a sweet, 2-year-old boy named Haddon. You see, like a lot of children, Haddon loves to ask “why”. His dad will whisper “shhhh” as we are saying a prayer, and Haddon will ask “why dad?” His mom will say, “let’s pick up the toys now” and he’ll ask, “why are we doing that?” Indeed, for nearly everything we seem to do, a “why” is almost always inevitable.
I watch these interactions with wonder and amusement, but they have really resonated with me, and they have me thinking about just how much I have lost my freedom to question as I’ve grown up, especially in regards to faith. Certainly we have all experienced a time at some point in our lives where we have felt that it was wrong to ask questions, as if they lessoned our faith. In fact, it took me four long years of seminary to take that freedom back, to accept that it’s okay to question. It’s okay to ask “why”.
And so, Haddon has really got me thinking lately about the importance of the question “why” and how I really hope that the one-word question will become a sort of mantra here at Grace. We want to be intentional in everything we do, and when we say that we are saying that behind every element of worship, a “why” has been asked.
Why do we chime the hour?
To symbolize that something sacred and holy is about to take place.
Why do we have a moment of silence?
To prepare our hearts and minds for reverent worship together.
Why a Taize chant as the song of preparation?
To show that our song is our prayer and that every element we incorporate into worship is in fact a prayer as well.
Why does the pace seem so slow?
Because we push against the rush of society and culture. We are not in a hurry. We are content to be here, now in this place.
So, as we worship together today, it is my prayer that we will see the answer to “why” in all we do. And I hope we leave feeling that a deep lesson has been realized; that we will take a nod from a wise two year old and understand that “why” is really not such a bad question to ask after all.
Aurelia Davila Pratt is the Spiritual Formations Pastor and one of the Teaching Pastors at Grace Baptist Church.