Roam the Garden.

Do you live in the house of fear or the house of love?

"A careful look at the Gospels shows that Jesus seldom accepted the questions posed to him. He exposed them coming from the house of fear. "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven? How often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me?…" To none of these did Jesus give a direct answer. He gently put them aside as questions emerging from false worries. They were raised out of concern for prestige, influence, power, and control. They did not belong to the house of God. Therefore Jesus always transformed the question by his answer. He made the question new—and only the worthy of his response." --Henri Nouwen, Lifesigns

I often encounter folks who are looking for the "right" answers to their questions. There seems to be a tremendous amount of anxiety associated with "knowing" the answers both for the one posing the question and the one attempting to answer the question.

But I wonder if the "need" for answers is more associated with one’s need to feel in control or power?

The need to possess the right answers often stems from our need to survive. I suspect this is why many growing churches tend to address folks at their need for survival and security. Folks who are fearful have a need for answers and if you can supply the "right" answer you will meet their basic survival needs. This is similar to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and is related to one’s level of consciousness.

I wonder how many of our questions... and answers are based on fear and control rather than love.

Nouwen said that once the fear-based or survival questions become the guiding questions of our lives, we tend to dismiss words spoken from the house of love as unrealistic, romantic, sentimental, pious or just useless. When love is offered as an alternative to fear we say: "Yes, that sound beautiful, but…" Nouwen says the "but" basically reveals how much we are gripped in fear.

If someone down plays love as the real answer, they basically mock Jesus.

According to Jesus the answer to everything is love: love of God, self and neighbor.

Everything else is rooted in control, prestige, fear and influence.

You’re free.
Roam the Garden.
Don’t let the fear-based control freaks put you in a yoke of slavery or shame you into hiding.

We were created for the house of love and it was God who opened the door to humanity. Having the right answers is not the "key" that unlocks the door. Possessing the "correct" belief is not the key.

The key is God... God's love, grace, and mercy.

Welcome home. The Kingdom of God is here.

We were homeless and God welcomed us home, to the house that Love built. Not because we possess the right belief and correct answers—that would be purely ego—God welcomed us home to the house of Love built with nails from the Carpenter’s hands.