God as “The Concealer”
If religion were to advertise itself it may say that it is
the conduit that allows humans to see the Divine. Religion in all its myriad
forms, whether simple or complex, involves understanding God through
revelation. That seems pretty straightforward; humans desire to understand the
world around them, and themselves and thus seek God who imparts knowledge to
them. Seeking God usually involves certain specific activities such as praying,
reading sacred books, listening to sermons and so forth. God, it is said, can
be reached via these methods. For many, contact with the divine involves
emotion. God may evoke tears or laughter or solemnity—this feeling reminds us
that the spirit of God is present.
But what if the person in need of answers finds none? What
if, upon reading the Bible or other such book, nothing of importance stands
out? What if religious services are attended, prayers are made, and there is no
emotional validation? Critics allege that because of times such as these, that
God does not exist, or is at best just a figment of our imagination.
Often it seems that instead of revealing God’s self to us,
God instead seeks to conceal. Life is hard. Pain and suffering are
ever-present. Many ask, “Where is God?”
God can, and at times, is very present, such as when a person
recovers from a serious illness in a miraculous way. But more often God hides.
God does not rescue us from harm. God does not jump into human events to
positively change the outcome. Even those who devote their lives to following
God, at times, question with the idea that, maybe, God is uninterested.
I wonder if a new way of thinking about God needs to be
utilized. Instead of providing answers religion, and by extension, God provides
questions and uncertainty. Yet we tend to posit religion as a way to discover
the truth.
I have often thought that trying to explain God to an atheist
would be like trying to explain the need of a boat to someone who has lived all
his life in the desert. It seems unnecessary and absurd.
Instead of presenting a faith that has answers, perhaps it
would be better to highlight the uncertainty, the paradoxical and the
incomprehensible. Religion is not a closed box.
Mystery perhaps should be understood as the thrust of religion—an
exploration of the mysterious, not as way towards understanding, but as a way
of recognition that we, as humans, are always “in the dark”. This is not a
platitudinous faith.
We need to always search. God seems to enjoy playing hide and
seek. God is found, only to be “lost” again. Like the waves crashing upon the
shore, there is always more to God.
We need comfort and solace, but we also need space and
freedom, usually at the same time. Our lives are thus paradoxical, and
counter-intuitive. God works within that schema. We can recognize this, if we
focus on the mysteriousness of the divine instead of looking for the
absoluteness of God.
