Scripture: Deuteronomy 11:18 – “You shall put these words of mine in your heart and soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and fix them as an emblem on your forehead.” (NRSV)
Unfortunately, terrible things happen to people all the time. There are natural disasters, floods and droughts, famines and plagues. There are the so-called random acts of violence and stories of people caught within the wheels of systems, losing everything for seemingly no reason. And sometimes, human greed and fear move people to choose to harm or victimize others.
In all of this, we ask, “where was God?” Didn’t God create a beautiful world for all to enjoy? Why is there so much suffering in it? Why didn’t God protect that village from destruction or that child from cancer? Bitterness in the face of suffering has led many people to abandon God as a juvenile fantasy or a cynical means for the powerful to control the gullible.
To answer the question, “where was God?”, is to say, “right here all along.” God is always with us all the time. We just ignore God’s presence because God is not immediately noticeable to our senses. God can become like background noise that we just filter out, even if it is the most important sound we can hear.
Because God is so easy to ignore, we need reminders, even constant reminders. This was the lesson that the Moses of Deuteronomy taught to the Israelites. By Deuteronomy, it is clear that the Israelites are very good at not doing what God wants them to do and taking God’s unfathomable grace and love for granted. So, Moses suggests that God’s commandments be a constant presence in every person’s life. He suggests that they not only internalize God’s commandments but write them on their hands so every time they look down, they think of God. They are to be written on their faces, so every time they look at themselves or another person, they see God. They are to be written on doorposts and gates, so everywhere they go, they think of God. Moses instructs them to teach their children about God, talking about God “when you are at home and when you are away, wen you lie down and when you rise.” In other words, all the time.
We need this constant reminder because otherwise, we misunderstand what a relationship with God is all about. If God is some magical genie who will fix the world’s ills just because we wish for it, we are going to be disappointed. Miracles occur, but not frequently enough for us to see them as the solution to all our problems. Instead, when we see God as a presence and a companion in our troubles, we learn to depend on God to strengthen us to endure pain and to think before we act so we can be merciful and just in all we do. So, the next time, things go wrong, do not ask, “where was God?”, but say, “Thank you God for being with me. How can we work together to make this better?”
Prayer: God, help us find you in the first light of dawn and in the last twinkling stars of night, in times of quiet mediation and in the hustle and bustle of life. Help us find you, for we need you. Amen.
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