The Power of a Good Question


Luke 9:18

"Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say I am?"

I had several very fascinating conversations with students and parents/guardians today at school. A commonality in the conversations? Me asking a question based on something they said, perhaps an offhand comment. Unrelated to the purposes of why they came in to see me.

Sort of like opening a door, the question opened up a room of stories. Some of them very sad. It is easy to not ask questions in an attempt to focus on the presenting problems at hand, move on, and keep things clean and tidy. Yet, without taking the time to pursue an opportunity to understand, the connections are not strengthened and the bonds are not bolstered. Communication and Community.  

I have an African-American 70 year-old grandfather who has taken in his grand-daughter. We got in a conversation about racism. He has seen a lot of years and he speaks of a different time when racism was very accepted and very real. As was often the case back in those times, African-Americans were forced to develop alternate venues for musicians. He played a historic role in helping foster entertainment for the African-American community in Baltimore. I never knew that about him. He explained to me what made the Philly Sound...I always have wondered about that. He gave me the inside story, not a textbook explanation.  

As I talked with him, I thought he was a tremendous storehouse of wisdom. Our kids need to hear his stories because they will never understand who they are until they understand who came before. We gave him a Volunteer Form and I am hoping that he turns it in.

Jesus was a great question asker. The best teachers are not necessarily the ones that answer best but instead ask best.     

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