The Triumph of the Question Mark -or- An Ugly Smattering of Grammar, Philosophy, Digestive Workings, and Theology by a Certified Punctuologist

I think of all punctuation marks, I like the semicolon the best. I wish I could say this is because of its usage, or the rythm that it creates within the syntax; however, when the truth is finally told, I like the semicolon because it makes me think of little "semi" intestines puttering out little "semi" farts pugent with "semi" noxious fumes and clouds of questionable, undigestable matter. This kind of reasoning, reminiscent of an adolescent reasoning (pre-puberty and post-comsumption of large amounts of sugar), is no way to go about ranking punctuation.

So, my more mature self (alive and well somewhere within me sometimes) has demanded that I produce I better form of reasoning and choice when it comes to punctuation; and maybe when it comes to other things as well, maybe.

I choose the question mark?

Let me rephrase that. I choose the question mark. It is no longer in limbo. It is decided. The question mark.

"Why?", you question-mark?

Because. (My all-time favorite response to questions.)

Well, my old style of thinking would have me say that I like question marks because of "The Riddler" on Batman, or I like questions because the best slapstick jokes start with questions and end with gut-busting laughs.

My more mature self selects a different line of reasoning.

I think that if we spoke honestly the things that were really deep within us, most of us would not spout profound theological creeds or mathematical proofs. I think if our deepest depths were articulated and turned into words and sentences, we would look not at statements, but at lines and lines of questions. If you are not one of the "most of us," and your persuasion pushes toward lines and lines of sentences with big emphatic periods, I would challenge you to see if your punctuation choice isn't more about feeling nice and tidy and certain. I ask you to at least admit your addiction to the concept of "certainty" whether you're certain its a problem or not.

I chose to study education because of question marks. My educational philosophy states that I wish to create a classroom of self-motivated question-askers. My missional bias for creating questioners is that I think that just beyond those question marks, just pass the blank, answerless void, there is God.

I think God is the "answer". Not in the Sunday school way. Not in the tidy, neat way. But in the big, all-encompassing, other-than way. In a way where using a linear, equation, question-equals-answer does not work. In a way where saying God is the "answer" becomes extremely and immediately impotent. "Answer" is too small. It is not dynamic enough.

Maybe a better idea is saying that God is the source of the question. The one who calls us to search and question. The one who is too big to be only the end of the equation.

So there's that; God being on the otherside of all questions. Big and loud and overwhelmingly being The Completion, the Wholeness that responds to the question.

Another reason for liking questions, and the subsequent "question mark":

Christ asked a lot of questions. Strike that. Christ asked an uncomfortable amount of questions. Christ asked questions as a response to--get this-- questions! A brief smattering of some Christ-questions just off the top of my head include; "who do you say that I am?", "Whose image is on this coin?", "Where is your husband?", "Do you love me?", "Where are your accussers?", "Why have you forsaken me?".

See? Jesus used questions as a means to articulate who he was and what he was about.

I like the question mark. There is so much more truth in questions then in statements. Statements end things. Statements are final. Questions begin things. Questions begin journeys and thinking and searching. Questions start things and create things. Questions inject with energy, motion, thoughtfulness.