Our Curious Questions

“When she died, people asked, ‘Where did Princess D’s soul went?’ They were divided mostly into two groups: one said she went to heaven and the other, to hell”, said the visiting priest –v.p. (His homily and the man himself perked my interest and I went forward to sit at the front pew, for this was the priest who married HP and i)

The v.p. continued, “I thought to myself, how Jesus might have answered such a question.”

Perhaps Jesus may say to the reporters (who represent the mass media) this, ‘The question you should be asking is, “Where will MY soul go?”’

He continued to point out that the mass media is always interested in these types of questions and that Jesus has no time for curious questions. Instead, we should be asking relevant questions and if the other party is not asking ‘well’, we should direct them to ask relevant questions.


I was so happy to hear this homily, for it gives me an idea of how I may respond to the numerous queries from the little children where I teach catechism. In my enthusiasm, I shared this with my missionary friend, Hot Radish and he was apt in pointing out that he can understand why children asks curious questions but that if adults continue to ask these type of questions, it can be irritating.



While in HK, I met up with my refugee asylum-seeker friend. It has been seven years and United Nations have still to grant them a country to be despatched to. I have always been inspired by this friend who has been through so much, even though she is a decade younger than i. At this meeting, she shared with me three curious questions people pose her, at her expense.


“Jeanne, how will YOU respond if people ask, 'Why haven't you left your husband, who has been unable to provide for you?' ”, my friend asked earnestly (HK's law does not allow asylum seekers to work while waiting to be despatch).

I felt terrible that there are people who fulfil their curiosity needs, by asking such personal questions at the expense of hurting a human being.


Another frequent question she gets is regarding her three children: why or how many children she intends to have? (ie, read-between-the-lines: when she seems to be in this situation of not being able to provide for them). To which she replies in a jest, that she has four more at home or that she intends to have four more. I understand this curiosity as I had posed this question to a single, missionary friend some time back. To which my friend enlighten me with, “To have children is their way of life.” And that was enough to satisfy my curiosity.


Finally, the question “Where are you from?” triggers a negative reaction from my friend. Her body language shows it: she takes two steps back and says, “WHAT DOES IT MATTER where I am from?”, in her English-French accent.

I thought that was a pretty decent question to ask someone whom you’ve met for the first time.

She explained, “Whenever I tell people where I am from, or that I am a refugee they would distant themselves from me… or they would say, ‘Oh-your country is so poor!’ ” I felt so, so sorry. I cannot take away her pains, her sorrows, the insults hurled at her. I only feel privilege she shares them with me. And that I learnt a lesson from her experience.


I recall in my ecumenical prayer meetings with Christians of different denominations, that the mature, peaceful ones would normally not ask which church the other party comes from. Indeed, it is not necessary. It IS a curious question. We cannot stomach what the other person has taken to get there.


If you have the opportunity to meet my friend, you will find that she is a Joyful person, not a cynical one. She must have dealt with peoples’ noisiness and hurtful remarks far too many times.

Did your curious question kill someone today? jeanne anne hsi