Fearful questions never lead to love-filled answers; underneath every
fearful question many other fear-filled questions are hidden.
Once I have decided that in order to have a child I must be able to offer that child a college education, I get caught in many new, anxious questions involving my job, the place I live, the friends I make, and so on. Once I have come
to the conviction that the Russians are the main threat to our national security, many new, fearful questions concerning military, economic, and diplomatic matters emerge. Once I believe that God is out to get me for my bad behaviour,
complicated moral schemes start to occupy my mind. Once I conclude that I cannot be happy without influential friends, I am in for quite an anxiety-provoking social life. Thus, fear engenders fear. Fear never gives birth to love.
If this is the case, the nature of the questions we raise is as important as the answers to our questions. Which questions guide our lives? Which questions do we make our own? Which questions deserve our undivided attention and full personal Commitment? Finding the right questions is as crucial as finding the right answers.
Henri Nouwen
From the book “In the house of the Lord”