Watching and Wondering

I am intrigued often that so many people have the same questions and the same doubts, yet we rarely want to be truthful about this. Faith is one of those arenas. I believe that we are created by a God who gave us a unique ability to wrestle with, question, and find answers. However, we often get so wrapped up in the doubt phase that we stop there. The conversations that I have with my son often propel me forward in the question and answer phase. I want to seek out answers for him and in the end find answers for myself. How about that for inquiry learning? My students often do the same for me. Since I teach in a private school, it is easy for me to have these conversations. Most often, the questions go back to "Why do you believe it and how do you know?" The answer of, I just believe is sometimes not enough. As I move through the watching and wondering stage, I have determined to develop a unit on World Religions. The unit will examine religious leaders, beliefs, and religious texts. Please note that this is not to question my own faith; I know that it will only serve to reinforce it. Throughout the next week, I plan to send a questionnaire to a local Christian pastor, a Catholic priest, and a Jewish Rabbi; I will be interested in their answers in my unit development. Until then.....Shelly