Asking the question "Why?"

If you know me well at all, have been discipled by me, or have even sat down with me for any amount of time, you know that one of my favorite questions of all time is "why?"

When I was four (to eighteen), this question drove my parents insane...

... why do you do want to wash the dishes this way?
... why do people get wrinkly when they get older?
... why do we have to sleep at night?
... ad infinitum.

But as I have *matured* I have realized that my child-like questioning actually served to create the base for I am. And I would argue, now, that "why" is the single most important question that we can ask, followed by "how," "who," and "what."

The Greek play-write, Euripides (480-406BC) once said, "Question everything. Learn something. Answer nothing." He then went on to say, "Leave no stone unturned."

A few years down the road, rapper Tupac Shakur (1971-1996AD) also said, "Don't cry, just ask why."

Now, if I've phrased this correctly, I'm sure that you're wondering, "Well, why is "why" the most important question?!" GREAT QUESTION!

"Why" is the single most important question that you can ask because it is the question which confers meaning to everything that we do. There is no purpose to the "how" "who" or "what" if we don't first ask, "why does it matter?"

Last summer, a friend and I had an extended conversation about God. I challenged her to answer the "why" questions, without God or the idea of God.

... why are we here?
... why species evolve the ways that they did?
... why did evolution stop at the human level?
... why do we even search for purpose or meaning in life? where did that come from?

"How" "who" and "what" are observation questions. They are good, and necessary questions. Science can easily attempt to answer the "how" and the "what" questions. Even the "who" question can be given a whirl and a non-committal answer. But "why" is the harder question to answer. But inevitably, it is the question that we need to ask ourselves the most often. Inevitably, it is the question from which the most growth, change, and depth of meaning stem. What would have happened if...

... Abolitionists hadn't asked "why do we think slavery is OK?"
... Scientists never asked "why does this happen, when I do x, y or z?"
... Doctors never asked "why did this patient die? and how can I prevent it in the future?"
... We never asked "why do we do things this way? why do we believe what we believe?"

The question "why" is fundamentally necessary for growth, change, and the conference of true meaning. Both Euripides and Tupac hit the nail on the head, when they suggest that we need to begin our search for meaning, truth, and change, with the question "why."

Perhaps my inner five year old actually continues to exist for a reason. :-)