THE WHY QUESTION

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 26th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “The Why Question.”

One of the most basic human tendencies and things we do is to ask, “The Why Question.”

SHORT DIALOGUE

“Why?”

“Well, because we want to know.”

“Well, why do you want to know – or why do you have to know?”

“I don’t know why – but I just want to know why you are talking about this.”

“Well, because I think it’s a key question.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I don’t want to answer that.”

“Why?”

“Well, because I don’t really know the answer or I don’t have the answer yet.”

“Why not?”

“Well, because I don’t have the time to answer right now.”

“Well, because I don’t want to answer the question.”

“Well because to be honest, I might lose something by answering: power, influence, a job or something I’m not sure about, but I sense by answering I see an inkling of loss of control.”

TWO POETS

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), the British Poet, said the why question was one of my 6 great servants – 6 servants who taught him all that he learned: “What, Why, When, How, Where, Who?” (1)

Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892), another British Poet, wrote a poem in 1854 which we’re all familiar with from our school days – because it was one of those poems we memorized, “The Charge of the Light Brigade.” In it he voices the questions, the thoughts, the screams, the why, of all those who lost loved ones in war:

“Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.” (2)

This brigade was taught not to question – but to just do what they were told to do. It’s the so called, “Blind obedience.” And so they charged right into their death without asking, “Why are we doing this?”

The why question can save lives.

The why question can save time.

Thy why question can save stupidity.

The why question takes time – but in the long run, it can save time and lives.

The why question can hurt – be painful – and it can also challenge.

BOBBY KENNEDY

We might remember Ted Kennedy quoting George Bernard Shaw’s [1856- 1950] words at his eulogy for his brother at Robert’s funeral at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, June 8, 1968, “You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’’ But I dream things that never were,; and I say, ‘Why not?’” (3)

TODAY’S FIRST READING

In today’s first reading Job asked the big why question: “Why was I born?” (Job 3: 3)

It’s the first question in the Old Catechism: “Why did God make me?”

Tough stuff. Job lost everything and he wants to know why didn’t he die when he was born.

Did you notice the 2 other why questions. The first concerns work – toil. Have we ever asked in the middle of an overload of work, “Why me God, why me?” The second question I find ever stronger: “Why did you give life to those who are bitter in spirit.” Haven’t we all asked that why question many times – especially when we’re dealing with depressives or whiners or very unhappy people?” [Job 3:20]

TODAY’S GOSPEL

In today’s gospel [Luke 9: 51-56] we have the continuation of Jesus’ words about his destiny: Jerusalem. It was on that hill outside of Jerusalem he’ll scream out a great why question, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” [Matthew 27: 46]

CONCLUSIONS

The why question gets us to pray.

That question mark is a great hook.

The why question gets us to talk to each other.

The why question gets us to some great talking to ourselves and hopefully to God. Amen.




Picture on Top, “The Charge of the Light Brigade” – 1855 – by William Simpson. The Russian commanders seeing the British charging thought they must be drunk. Of the 600, 118 were killed; 127 wounded; 60 were taken prisoner.

(1) Cf. Rudyard Kipling, The Elephant’s Child, in “The Just-So Stories” [1902]

(2) Cf. Alfred Lord Tennyson, "The Charge of the Light Brigade", 1854, stanza 1. A poem about the Battle of Balaclava, in the Crimean War, October 25, 1854

(3) George Bernard Shaw [1856-1950] says those words in Back to Methuselah. pt. 1, Act 1