I Dare You To Ask Rev That
In the same spirit of the popular ABC program, Rev James Wood of the Anglican Church in Warracknabeal has produced a four-part video series entitled - ‘I Dare You To Ask Rev That!’
Members of the public in 2020 and early 2021 were invited to submit questions to Rev James
- and he has complied the answers into four separate YouTube videos:
Part I - Getting to know you (released 26th August 2021)
Part II - Religion and the Universe. (released 02 September 2021)
Part III - God. (released 09 September 2021)
Part IV - The Bible, Church and other stuff. (released 12 September 2021)
A passionate nurturer of curiosity, Rev James comments, “I have learnt later in life that questions are probably more important than answers. I was a shy and timid child who felt that to ask questions was impolite - and as I grew older I realised I had missed an opportunity to genuinely engage the world and the issues that were important to me. I no longer am afraid to ask questions! Neither am I afraid to try and answer them - even if my heart trembles at little at times,” says Rev James honestly.
Questions range from “What’s your favourite animal?” to “What’s the meaning of the Universe?” - and were asked by young and older alike. “Essentially, it is a way to start a conversation,” states Rev James, “and hopefully it is a safe way for people to ask the questions they’ve always wanted to ask but didn’t know who to ask them to.”
There are a few guidelines that will make the project effective. First, questions must be accompanied with a name in order that Rev can honour the person asking. In production, each question will acknowledge the first name of the person. Secondly, no topic is taboo. However, Rev James would ask that questioners remain respectful and thoughtful in addressing particular topics and issues. Thirdly, questions do not have to be related to his religious role within the community. However, Rev does relish questions related to his spirituality, and is particularly interested in people challenging or wanting to know more about the relevance and importance of Christianity in our modern society.
Finally, the project is aimed at creating a space for both enjoyment and taking life seriously. “I am a white, middle-class man who has travelled a bit, thinks a lot, read a few books, and I try to engage my community with as much integrity as I can muster,” says Rev James. “I may fall way too short of people’s expectations,” he laments, “however, I’m prepared to find new ways to engage the community in which I live in creative ways.”
Further questions can be emailed: warrackanglican@gmail.com or posted to PO Box 22, Warracknabeal, VIC 3393. They can be submitted to Rev James Wood with your name, address or contact number. Depending on the public's curiosity, there may be another series produced in 2022.
