Posted by Campus Ministry on Sunday, October 31, 2021 at 8:00 AM PDT

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At the end of today’s Gospel, the scribes become hesitant to ask Jesus any more questions, even after Jesus reaffirms their closeness to the kingdom of God. It seems exciting and reassuring at first, that they are on the right track towards the kingdom of God. However, the closer I’ve looked, the less sure I’ve become about this. You might be thinking: Shouldn’t Jesus’ affirmation make the scribes eager to ask him about more? It may be that perhaps this reaction reflects less on the answer they received, and more on the intentions behind the questions they’ve asked him. 

In my daily life, I constantly find myself asking questions about everything – Why are strawberries red? How are dogs so happy all the time? Why does my pencil fall to the ground when I let go of it?  

Sometimes I also ask myself the deeper questions – Why does the universe exist? Who is God? Who am I? 

When I ask questions – about polarized political topics, about the universe, about others, about God – I must reflect whether or not I am asking them out of pure curiosity, or if I’m actually trying to provoke a different response. I’m constantly urged to reflect on not the questions themselves, but why I ask them. 

How do my intentions influence the way I ask other people questions? Am I asking because I want to learn, or because I want to prove a point? Do I have a genuine curiosity about God and my neighbors? How am I being called to address the things that I don’t know, and through what lens can I evaluate my intentions? 

“Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today.” 

~ Taylor-Ann Miyashiro, Class of 2022, B.S. Electrical Engineering