Solutions without questions: Encouraging the Search for Truth

Receiving mere information does little to further a student's quest for knowledge. And the process of learning things without having a real interest in them or failing to see the relevance of what we are learning does little to make things a real part of our lives. Henri Nouwen believes that one of the 'problems of education remains that solutions are offered without the existence of a question'.

Much religious education suffers from the same problem. Doctrines are taught, but they are not the response to issues with which people are struggling. Worse than that, in many religious establishments the question is not encouraged. People are given what the religious leaders think is important for them to hear. Much religious teaching is therefore wide of the mark.

In the search for truth, nothing can be more encouraging than to be aware of the issues with which we are struggling and to find ourselves with friends who are not only prepared to walk with us towards the answers, but who also ask further questions of us.

- Dare to Journey by Charles Ringma