The Critical Task of Thinking Critically

Including the Introduction to my latest book

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The eight letters comprising ‘thank you’ are not enough to express how deeply grateful I am that you have subscribed to Peace of Mind. I’d love to bottle up the sensation of watching the sun rise over the ocean or seeing a newborn lamb frolic in a field and deliver it to you in a beautifully wrapped box. Until I can figure out how to accomplish this task, ‘thank you’ will have to do.

After several years of writing regularly, I took the summer away from my keyboard. I traveled, visited family, and read a lot. Although I was not writing, I was doing the invisible part of writing that I often undervalue. I hope that you too found time to feed your soul.

Now that I’m back to writing, I hope to help us all find Peace of Mind in an increasingly confusing world.

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A few weeks ago, I quietly uploaded my latest book to Amazon. A wonderful group of women in Atlanta commissioned the project and are gathering to discuss it as their small group study this fall. Here is the link to Illuminate: Finding the Light of Faith in the Questions Jesus Asks if you’d like to learn more about it.

Today, I’m sharing the Introduction in which I explain a problem I see in our country (the U.S.) and how answering the questions Jesus asks is part of the solution. (I lightly edited the intro. for ease of digital reading.) From now until Thanksgiving, I’ll share essays from Illuminate and questions to ponder with Peace of Mind paid subscribers. These Substack posts will be delivered on Sundays.

Last year, the Peace of Mind regular subscribers voted to hear from me once a month. I plan to continue this writing pace and have several ideas about what I can share. If you have a topic or question you’d like me to address, please add it to the comments or email me at Katie@KatieKibbe.com.

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Introduction to Illuminate

We don't often consider how we come to know what we know. Whether it's experientially, like a gardener knows a plant, or by memorization, as a mathematician acquires a formula, humans have an enormous capacity to store and process information. However, as we age, we tend to take our knowledge for granted rather than considering how we obtained it in the first place. The same can be said about our opinions and, even more importantly, our faith. 

If you have any young children in your life, you know that their brains are sponges for new information. Their inquisitiveness is equal parts delightful and exhausting. Every new experience makes them wonder why things are the way that they are. And so they ask: "Why?" and "Why?" and "Why?"

When was the last time you asked a question beginning with the word "Why"? 

When I was in law school, our professors taught using the Socratic Method. Rather than lecturing on a topic, the professors entered a conversation by asking us "Why" questions. They would lead the class, question by question, toward the rule of law they wanted us to understand. Sometimes, the legal principle was clearly stated in the case text, but more often it was hidden in the space between the lines.

In class, the professor posed questions that pointed out what was important while also teaching us how to apply the principle to a set of hypothetical facts.  

We didn't just need to know why, we needed to know what to do with the why we discovered. 

The Socratic Method fundamentally changed the way my mind worked. It taught me to think critically, to reason my way to a conclusion. The questions forced me to read between the lines of text and beyond the four corners of the casebooks. Rather than memorizing facts, I learned to observe, make connections, and stay curious until I could draw conclusions from the information at hand. All of this knowledge prepared me to advocate on my client's behalf when they had legal problems. Perhaps most importantly, I became intellectually flexible, willing to change my mind when necessary. 

It's been decades since I practiced law. Little by little, I’ve noticed a tendency to hand my reasoning over to influencers, algorithms, and leaders whose confidence surpasses mine. Rather than reaching my own conclusions, I often find it easier to assume that smarter people have earned the right to tell me what to think.

I adopt other people's ideas and opinions, rarely taking the time to ask questions. 

Sadly, as I gathered my hodgepodge collection of ideas and opinions from other people, my mental flexibility decreased. 

Without understanding why I believed what I believed, I began entering social circles where my ideas would not be challenged. I became adept at recognizing and maybe even imagining divisions between people who thought and believed differently. I found it easier to stay in my comfort zone, interacting only with others who saw the world from a similar point of view. 

At the same time, I noticed the battles other people fought, with each opponent claiming Jesus was on their side of the battle line. This division bothered me in ways I could not articulate. So I returned to my law school ways and started asking, "Why?".

As I began to think critically again, I searched for a means to reconcile what I believed about Jesus with what I was seeing in my animosity-fueled world. 

I believed, and still believe, that Jesus did not live and die for us to lead shallow, comfortable, isolated lives. He did not sacrifice Himself so that we could feel good about ourselves while outsourcing our thinking. I truly believe that we all long to live meaningful lives, loving God and our neighbor and ourselves. At the same time, it's hard to hug your neighbor with one hand while drawing a battle line with the other. 

While I was wondering whose side of these battles Jesus was on, I read a Gospel passage in which Jesus asked a question. I thought it was odd for Jesus, true God and true man, to ask a question. Shouldn't He already know the answer?

It was as if I had been reading in the dark and someone turned on a lamp. Like a squirrel captivated by a shiny object, I began to look for more question marks in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. 

There had to be a reason Jesus asked so many questions. 

Then it struck me. Perhaps, in the same way that my law school professors asked questions they already knew the answer to, Jesus was using a version of the Socratic Method to enable His conversation partner to reason their way to the Truth. Scanning the Gospels, I found plenty of examples of Jesus engaging in conversation. 

People talk about what is important to them, and Jesus was no exception. With each one of Jesus’ questions, I saw Jesus more vividly. Rather than lectures on the importance of following rules, Jesus developed trusting relationships with people in conversation. Rather than fomenting division, His questions sought reconciliation. Jesus engaged in battles against darkness with questions as His weapon of choice. 

Conversation by conversation He opened people's eyes and hearts to the Truth. He continues to do the same today. Just as children’s questions reveal their innate curiosity and my law professors' questions laid out their thought process, so too Jesus' questions highlight the importance of self-reflection as we wrestle with doubt, suffering, and the struggle to love others well.

As I read question after question, I was drawn deeper into a new way of thinking about Jesus. As my mind became more limber, my faith was stretched as well. One day, it dawned on me that understanding who Jesus is and what is meaningful to Him is more important than trying to figure out which side of the battlefield Jesus is on.

Prayerfully answering the questions Jesus asks helps us understand what part we can take in erasing the battlelines altogether. 

Over the course of our lifetime, we have each formed an image of Jesus in our minds. 

Maybe you are like me, holding onto assumptions you made about Jesus as a child that you never got around to questioning. This makes sense after all. Life is busy and many of us don't trust ourselves to examine our faith because it feels like venturing into the wilderness alone. 

What if we're unwittingly holding onto an image of Jesus based on false assumptions or misinformation? 

Any image of Jesus that does not align with who He reveals Himself to be in Scripture is distorted, often tinged with darkness. The term "dark" describes situations that are discouraging, depressing, or hopeless. Many in our country would say that we live in dark times indeed. In response to the fear, it can be tempting to lead shallow lives of superficial faith, where others do the thinking for us. Alternatively, we might attempt to rigidly adhere to a set of rules, judging others according to our measuring stick. 

Thankfully, we have another option; within our reach lies the light of faith, which alone can dispel all darkness. We can pursue the freedom of God's Truth by utilizing our faith and reason to engage with the questions Jesus asks. In the process, we will come to know ourselves and God better. Indeed, this is the very purpose of Illuminate.

It is time to examine our image of Jesus alongside Scripture to ensure that our perspective of Him aligns with who He reveals Himself to be. Reflecting on who we think Jesus is versus who He says He is ensures that we truly are in relationship with Jesus and not merely a figment of our imagination. 

You need not remain in the dark, asleep to the wonderful life God created you to live. Illuminate is a reflective guide designed to help you prayerfully wrestle with any assumptions you may have made about Jesus and to fall deeper in love with who He truly is. By responding to the questions Jesus' disciples answered, you'll get to know Him more intimately. You'll find a safe space to wrestle with your doubts and discouragements. Take the time to answer Jesus' questions as if He were posing them today. Your prayerful reflection will allow His questions to illuminate and guide your life moving forward. 

Question to Ponder in the Comment Box:

Is it possible that we are unwittingly holding onto an image of Jesus based on false assumptions or misinformation? 

If so, what are the downsides of this practice?