Minister’s Message: Ask one more question

Published 1:30 am Thursday, April 16, 2026

My son is turning eight years old this Saturday, and he’s been asking more questions about faith. Not the easy ones, but the kind that make you pause. His questions reveal how he’s trying to make sense of God, the world, and his place in it.

If I’m honest, my first instinct is often to give him the “right” answer; to shape his thinking quickly and clearly. But I’ve been learning to slow down and to resist that impulse. Instead of rushing to respond, I’ve started asking him questions: What do you think? Why do you think that? How did you come to that conclusion?

I’ve found that something surprising happens in those moments: my son opens up more. He processes out loud. And I begin to see not just what he believes, but how he is learning to think.

As a parent, these interactions have made me realize that formation doesn’t only happen through cut-and-dry answers, but through open dialogue.

When we look at the life of Jesus, we see this approach time and again. Jesus certainly taught with authority, but He was also an attentive listener. He asked many questions, not because He lacked knowledge, but because He was drawing people out.

“Who do you say that I am?”

“What do you want me to do for you?”

“Why are you afraid?”

Jesus didn’t simply deliver truth, but He invited people into it. He created space for reflection, honesty, doubt, and confusion. In doing so, Jesus built rapport and trust with others in a way that encouraged genuine faith. He truly saw people and met them where they were.

And ultimately, He led them somewhere deeper.

That path led to the cross — the place where all our questions about God’s love, justice, and mercy meet their answer. It was not through coercion, but through self-giving love; not by forcing belief, but by revealing a Savior who listens, who knows us, and who lays down His life for us.

In a world that moves quickly to speak, yet is slow to understand, there is something quietly powerful and disarming about a person who listens well.

What if we became more curious about the people around us? What if, instead of rushing to give the right answer, we asked thoughtful questions? I think we might find that conversations deepen and that walls come down. We might see hearts open in ways we didn’t expect.

When we listen with patience, we create space for truth to surface. This posture does not make truth less important; it means we trust that truth, like Jesus, can meet people in the midst of honest, open dialogue.

This week, I’ll be asking my son more questions and listening more intently. I invite you to slow down in your conversations. Ask one more question than you normally would. Listen a little longer, and be genuinely curious. You may find that, in the simple act of listening, you are reflecting the heart of Christ more than you realize.

Rev. Christianne Zeiger is a palliative care and end-of-life chaplain at Kenai Peninsula Home Health.