"Passages between the seasons of life have a way of provoking questions to answers we take for granted because we've been living with them for so long. When change occurs, old questions often take on critical importance again.

"For many people religion provides answers (or at least a sense of security) to the big questions of life. For others the absolute claims of religion raise more questions than they answer. I have lived on both sides--and in some ways I still do. My path of faith has wandered through both doubt and belief, often at the same time. Doubt doesn't have to tear down belief, however; it can purify it. When it does, the beliefs on the other side become more certain. That is why I would like to affirm that it is possible to find God even while you are still asking the big questions."

"...I do believe that there are 'footprints' of an intelligence in our universe that expresses itself in the mind-boggling complexity and 'coincidences' of our cosmos and in the very nature of what it means to be human--the conscience that so often calls us to do the unpopular or unexpected, the intense bonds of relationship that shape and direct our lives."

"Making the transition in belief from a creator God to a personal God is an enormous leap of faith. Nonetheless, I have concluded that the God who created the universe has indeed reached out to us in many ways, but most definitively and understandably in the life of Jesus...I have personally concluded that there is no better guidance for living than what Jesus taught and how he lived. Probably the most well-known though often least-understood wisdom of Jesus is found in the collected sayings in the three long chapters in the Gospel of Matthew, subsequently labeled by Saint Augustine as the Sermon on the Mount... The Sermon starts with the Beatitudes, or Blessings.

"The Sermon on the Mount: The Beatitudes
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.... "

"In my experience finding God in the questions does not mean finding complete answers. In fact, you may discover that along the path of faith, you pick up more questions than you started with. But you might also discover that you need fewer answers, and those you do find are enough to live on."

"...I deeply believe that anyone who attempts to follow Jesus--even in tiny footsteps full of failures--will begin a journey of exploration that will lead to a deeper relationship with the God of creation than would otherwise be possible."