Karl and Debbie....asking questions
Dear friends and fellow questioners,
Aspirations in life come in many forms and levels.
One of Debbie’s roles over the past months has been to be a presence in our grandchildren’s lives as they navigate virtual school. After looking forward to “going to school”, five-year-old Damien has been disappointed sitting for hours in front of a computer. (Not long ago we would have done anything to get a child away from the screen. Now we have to sit in the room to enforce their sitting in front of it.)
One day something sparked in Damien’s mind following a science lesson, and he jumped from his seat announcing, “When I grow up, I’m going to be a Question-Asker.”
“That’s cool, Damien.”
“Yeah. I want to ask questions, so I can know more things…more than people older than me…more than Stephen (his cousin)…and win competitions." (typical five year old motivations)
“Tell me more, Damien.”
“Well, I could figure out questions. I would have a book. The only thing is, it says, ‘The End’. I could ask, “What does, ‘The End’ mean?”
Damien designs more questions to answer
So as we walk through our three-score and ten years, drawing closer to ‘The End’ of our earthly life, our grandson reminds us of a great aspiration: be a question-asker.
Karl rejoices in the opportunity to help form good questions. One of his students is taking a break this month from his duties in Beirut as a seminary dean and pastor. He is finishing his research that asks youth, different denominational pastors, faith leaders, and political leaders questions like “What are the effective interventions to help the Lebanese community respond redemptively to conflict?” That question has turned diverse and heated debates into productive dialog. A missionary friend living in Palestine
wrote and asked, "What can we say and do to not take sides in this conflict and help promote peace?"
Another student, the human resources director of another seminary in Asia, is in the midst of researching his question: “What enables leaders to express their identity-based interests in a way that brings flourishing outcomes for all parties.” He is helping leaders rethink their racial and ethnic values that have been getting in the way of the gospel advance. These are questions not only for Arabs or Asians but they are the ones that have Americans bound up in stubborn adversarial positions.
A course on "political repentance" offered in Sri Lanka. Don't you wish you could have been there?
Debbie just finished a special curriculum development for World Relief that will be used to help four African nations address the question, “What can I do to help others overcome the spread of COVID-19?” She put into question "Does God care about COVID?" If the African church and community leaders can deal with their fear of an immunization for the sake of the healing and well-being of others, then they will be the good Samaritans rather than the priest and Levite.
Before Covid Deb worked with many church leaders in Rwanda. Since Covid she has continued to prepare the church for life without Covid, encouraging communities to care for one another and get the vaccine when available.
So what did you learn in Kindergarten?
A few prayer Questions…
God over the raging nations, why are your people hesitant to help their neighbors who have different opinions or worship in a different manner?
Reconciling Savior, how do we encourage your people who are in hard places like Beirut to use their question-asking well?
Spirit of life, how long before the diseases and hatreds of this world decrease? How will you use and encourage your people to bring the Life-Bearer to their worlds?
Great Teacher, what should we do to engage others?
Lord of cultures, what should we learn from the BLM and Asian hate about our own prejudices?
God of all ages, how do we help our grandchildren and youth continue to grow and move on in their life journeys?
You MUST listen to Bassem's use of peace building questions in Beirut
--We have begun a salary reduction plan that will continue to move to the level that donations support. Give thanks in prayer with us that God does supply all our needs.
https://www.mtw.org/missionaries/details/karl-and-debbie-dortzbach