Exploring your answers to this question, both in good times and in bad, is not easy. And it can be even more difficult to watch a friend wrestle with God’s often mysterious presence. For instance, when facing devastating loss, violence or isolation a first response is often, “Don’t you care, God? Why aren’t you here to stop this?” And even when life is good, it is tempting to focus on enjoying ourselves and leaving Jesus out of the picture.
The truth is that having a fulfilling relationship with Father, Son and Holy Spirit means embracing a paradox. God is BOTH intimately close to us, and enticingly beyond us, no matter what happens. The challenge is to acknowledge these two realities, while moving a few steps closer to an awareness of God. Here are some suggestions to use when God seems absent.
- Acknowledge God, our Father and Creator, who is both as near as your next breath and yet magnificent enough to sustain the whole universe. A. Sit quietly for a few minutes, while inhaling with the words “My holy” and exhaling with the word “Father” or “Creator”. B. Walk in a park or woods and thank God for each bush, flower or cloud. C. Pray with nature photos on Instagram.
- Listen to Jesus-centered music A. Add songs to a playlist and sing in your car. B. Pray one or two songs when you wake up or go to sleep, like Dan Schutte’s song, “Yahweh, I Know you are Near”. C. Begin faith sharing conversations by reciting a favorite hymn with a friend.
- Search out the Holy Spirit’s presence in the Psalms, who helps us give voice to every human emotion. Psalms about feeling distant from God are in the beginning of the Book. Psalms about God, as the source of our joy, are near the end.
- Be patient when you pray. God is beyond imagining, emotions, or understanding. A. Ask the Holy Spirit to come into your heart. B. Cultivate gifts of awe and trust when Jesus seems distant. Remember, the Holy Spirit is not a vending machine, but an awesome and intriguing friend.