Theology is something we do every day when we think about God. It involves asking questions. It involves getting as much information as possible before making decisions. It involves bringing your values, your belief systems and God into the decision-making process.
We live in a world that values being right. However, in our headlong pursuit of the “right” answers, we can easily overlook information that needs to be considered. This is especially true when we seek answers about God and God’s creation. Our challenge is to learn to follow a process of theological thinking rather than to focus only on finding answers. It’s tempting to want answers or a resolution to the discussion, and sometimes indecision feels uncomfortable. To shortchange the process, however, is to risk making a poor decision.
An important part of this theologically based decision-making process is making use of shared wisdom. Some would argue that no weighty decision should be made in isolation. Including others in your decision-making will improve your decisions. Ask questions, truly try to see all sides of an issue. Getting a different perspective can bring forth valuable ideas and solutions that would otherwise be missed.
This message was adapted from the Called to Deal with Difficult Issues resource offered free of charge by Women of the ELCA at welca.org.