I confess I’m a sucker for a particular kind of online article that proliferates this holiday season: the one that lists “the top tech gifts for the year.” As my friend Andy Crouch has explained on this Good Faith podcast episode, technology whispers the ancient promise of magic: new powers, effortlessly acquired.

Suppose that I recommended a new tech gift to you this Christmas – one that could help you learn more quickly, uncover delightful surprises, make new friends, and feel more connected to those you love.

Would you, like me, be quick to click “buy now!” after hearing about such wizardry?

If so, I’ve got great news. This new tech gift is free, requires no charging, and is available in unlimited supply. It’s called “a question.” In fact, the humble question is one of the most amazing human innovations of all time. Used properly, it truly can grant you those magic-sounding powers listed above… and more. Indeed, as the biblical scholar Martin Copenhaver documented, Jesus himself relied on this rhetorical device far more than he did on any other, asking over 300 questions in the Gospels.

So here’s my sales pitch: during one of your extended family or friend gatherings this season, experiment with the features packed into just one question. Pick a question from the list below, and then deliberately pose it to everyone in attendance in a series of one one-on-one interactions (you can tell everyone you’re testing out my claims…). And then pay attention to what transpires: How is the practice of asking, and then listening, changing you? How do you notice it impacting the person you’re speaking with? What shifts in your shared relationship? 

Questions to consider

1. There’s much more to food than palate and preference. How does a go-to meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you?
2. We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests. So, what are yours? What so-called “nonspiritual” activity do you love engaging in, which also helps you find essential spiritual renewal?
3. Every superhero has a weakness. Every human too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding?! We’re broken and in this thing together. So, what’s your kryptonite, and how do you hide it?
4. Tell me about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your current obsession? And why should it be mine?
5. Cashiers, CEOs, contractors, or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it’s God when it happens?
6. Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied habits that open our hearts to the presence of God. So, let me in. Which spiritual practice is working best for you right now? 
7. Looking backward, considering the full sweep of your unique faith journey and all you encountered along the way, what top three resources stand out to you? What changed the game and changed your heart? What radically altered your life? What changed your reality?

By the way, as much as I like this set of questions, they weren’t created by me. I was posed these questions by the folks at Rapt Interviews, a part of Gather Ministries that is all about asking good questions. I found myself enjoying the process more than I expected, and the experience reminded me of the surprising power of the simple question. 

If you’re interested, I’ve included (with their permission) my answers to these questions here.

Wishing you a blessed Advent season,

Curtis Chang

Executive Director

Redeeming Babel