Mark 8:27-30 (NIV)
Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”
Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
Hold that Thought
Children with their simple questions (and wonder) can make purported know-it-all adults downright defensive. For example, a child asks “Why is grass green?” The adult so asked, somewhat flattered that the child expects him to be a knowledge resource, stutters out something to the effect that plants are often green, grass is a plant, so grass is green. The first thing we might observe from this exchange is that while there may be no stupid questions, it does not follow that there are no vacuous answers. In fact the answer given is a typical stupid answer, depending as it does on pinning labels rather than identifying the reality of process fundamental to understanding. I would ask that we join hands at the start of this new year and hold fast to the phenomenon of wonder that precedes our sometimes delusional and assuredly reflexive recourse to labels.
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