Where is God when we need him? Maybe we ought to reverse that question and ask, Where are we when God needs us? It's easy to feel alone and helpless in the universe, as if God has abandoned us and doesn't answer when we pray. But the reason we feel that way is often because we have neglected God and our prayers have arisen only out of our own personal whims and desires.
Does God really need us? That's a deep question, and bears a lot of similarity to the conundrum "Can God make a rock so heavy he can't lift it?" I've always liked the saying that God has no hands but our hands, no feet but our feet, no tongues but our tongues, to reach out to the poor, lonely, and desperate people around us. When you think about it, we are the ones capable of representing God to our neighbors, aren't we? It's both an honor and an incredible responsibility, and it really comes home to us when we think about how alienated and needy many people are. We realize we haven't faithfully been doing our job.
Where are we when God needs us? The best place to be is where the ancient prophet said he was when God needed someone to bear witness to his love: "Here I am, Lord. Send me." |