Bill sometimes spontaneously asks a philosophical sounding question that no one can answer. I've observed the following questions to be rhetorical, trying to make light of his own deep existential questions concerning Christian hope and identity (in the midst of personal desparation or dispair).
1) "Are we there yet?"
"there" refers to heaven. Thus the question rhetorically asks, "When are all my struggles and problems going to be over with?" and implies that heaven seems too far away from the present.
2) "Where are we?" / "When are we?" / "Why are we?"
These questions are similar to "Are we there yet?", indicating feelings of disorientation concerning one's purpose, identity, and existential worth (see Ecclesiastes). They often occur in the order given, with special emphasis upon the "to be" verb or the adverb ("Where", "When", "Why").
Posted by Eric Pyle at June 3, 2004 4:06 PM