"For heaven's sake, Billy," cried his mother, "you must stop asking so many questions. Curiosity killed the cat."

Billy sat quietly for as long as he could, but his mother had raised a real puzzle now. "Mama," he finally said -- "what did the cat want to know?"

*  *  *

I think it pays to be inquisitive, especially in matters of faith. Too often we settle for the easy -- and shallow -- answers.

What's the state of your faith right now? Is it what you want it to be?

Have you answered the big questions -- the ones about life and death and the meaning of it all?

Are you in church yet?

I'm not surprised when people say. "I don't know what I believe," or "I'm just confused."

What amazes me is when people are willing to leave it at that. They are willing to live in that confusion and ignorance.

They get comfortable with a state of indifference.

Listen, my job is to sometimes make people uncomfortable.

I think we are intended to look until we find.

Someone told me recently that he had trouble believing in the Resurrection. I said "Good!" I'm glad you're honest enough to say so. What are you doing about it?

"I'm not doing anything," he said.

"Well," I said, "you don't need to do something. The Resurrection is reality. Jesus really is Lord, and he was raised from the dead. If you don't believe that, then you are missing the truth."

"And furthermore," I said, "God really does love us as much as Jesus said God loves us. If you don't know that, you are living with a lie about reality."

I like to think that I pushed this young man into discomfort. In fact, I hope he is miserable until he begins to truly examine his faith and look for some answers.

We used to have a term for that period of struggle that leads to real faith. We called it "being under conviction."

The literature of religious experiences is filled with stories of people who have wrestled with their own doubts and fears until the victory comes.

Faith does not always come easily.

And sometimes people with the strongest faith are those who had the hardest struggle getting there.

"Seek, and you will find," said Jesus.

But there's no blessing for those who give up along the way.

(The new Saturday service begins March 18. Dinner at 5:30 -- Discussion at 6:00. Come, bring your questions with you.)