It is possible to use this single word, facing the person we are asking, or even saying it
through some means of electroniccommunications, and it is a fully formed
question. Sometimes of course, there is more toa fully formed question. That more fully
expresses what is in our minds or hearts, while it also tells the person we are asking much more
about the answer we are seeking, and why we are seeking it.
In the Scriptures this weekend we hear of those who are chosen...those who will serve the
needs of widows and others in need, Jew and Greek alike. Why were they needed? Why were
those specific men chosen? In the Acts of the Apostles we are told that this newly forming
Community of Faith needed a new way to tend to the needs of this socially and culturally Church
coming together, and it needed to free those responsible for the life of prayer and sacramental
ministry that was becoming their focus for the sake of all. They were chosen because their
own faith and the power of the Holy Spirit was evident within them.
Jesus himself is spoken of in the First Letter of Peter as the stone once rejected and then
chosen. He is and always will be the living cornerstone, anchor, balance, and foundation for
all that will be raised up upon him. Why? It is because of God’s love for us. Things shift
according to our needs, and new patterns are chosen, new persons are chosen in roles and
relationships to serve, to protect, to comfort. But for us, those chosen and that for which they are
chosen will always and must always answer “Why?” Answer: Christ.