Where is God?
For some, it is a taunt; for others, a deep sigh. Either way, God remains hidden, intangible, and seemingly distant.
The question gnaws at us. It disturbs me. When surrounded by injustice, hunger, disease, and death, the question clouds faith and creates doubt.
I have no rationales, but I do have a witness.
Where is God?
God is hanging on the cross. God did not avoid suffering but chose it for our sakes. God loved us by participating in the suffering of the world. Jesus said, I came to give my life for the life of the world—to serve rather than be served.
Where is God? God is present in the hungry, the prisoner, and the coronavirus patient on the ventilator. Jesus said, if you serve the least of these, you serve me.
Where is God? God is acting through the healthcare worker, the volunteer, the social worker, the first responders, and pastoral care. Jesus said, whoever gives a cup of cold water in my name is my disciple.
God is not absent but hidden. Though hidden, God is made visible in Jesus, the suffering, and those who follow Jesus.
Where is God?
Here.
Present in the suffering with the sufferer as a sufferer.
Learn more from John Mark Hicks about how to trust God in the midst of grief, suffering, and loss by looking at his book Anchors for the Soul.
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