The flip side of any theology of God’s presence
is the existential reality of God’s absence. In talking with people who are not
yet committed followers of Jesus there will most likely be a deep sense of God’s
absence, if indeed this sense of absence can be understood as “God” at all. The
worst thing a Christian could try to do is deny this sense of absence or
explain it away as though it only seems like God’s absence. The first thing we
must do is honestly acknowledge that the experience of the absence of God is
real and palpable at times. If we are honest we will recognize this ache in our
hearts as well. Questions about why God doesn’t act to spare innocent people
from terrible events are only one example of the sense of God’s absence.
Being Adventists in the most general sense of
the word means being people who live in hope; people who live in the midst of
the tension between the presence and absence of God. This tension captures very
well one of Jesus’ finally discourses with the disciples. In John
16:16-24 Christ told His disciples, “In a little while you will see me no
more, and then after a little while you will see me.” The passage continues:
“Some of his disciples said to one another, ‘What
does he mean by saying, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then
after a little while you will see me,” and “Because I am going to the Father”?’
They kept asking, ‘What does he mean by “a little while?” We don’t understand
what he is saying.’ Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he
said to them, ‘Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, “In a
little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will
see me”? I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world
rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving
birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born
she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.
So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will
rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. In that day you will no longer ask
me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in
my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will
receive, and your joy will be complete.’”
Notice the disciples’ confusion about the presence
and absence of Jesus. Jesus says “you will see me no more” (absence). Then He
says “you will see me” (presence). What is going on here? In answer to these
questions Jesus uses the metaphor of birth pains. There is severe pain in child
birth, but once the baby is born, the mother forgets all about the pain because
of her joy in the new child. Jesus also gives a double answer about His
presence in this chapter, referring both to the coming of the Holy Spirit and
His own physical return. Christian life—indeed, life in general—is an exercise
in living with the presence and absence of God. This is why the Bible speaks of
Christians living in hope and anticipation and admonishing the vital and active
spiritual discipline of “waiting.” (See Matthew, chapters
24 and 25)
Finally, we should recognize that the sense of
God’s absence is potentially an evidence of God’s
presence. The longing for a thing is an indicator that the thing itself exists,
at some level. A sense of loneliness speaks powerfully of the reality of
companionship and friendship. Emptiness means that there is fullness, both a
space to be filled and something with which to fill the space.
In most people’s personal experience they can
recognize that indeed the sense of God’s absence was in fact a sign of his
presence.
No comments:
Post a Comment