Where is God?

Fr. Lloyd Baugh SJ - August 9, 2020

 

People ask why would God cause an earthquake or permit a tsunami? Why does God do nothing while two warring groups massacre each other? Is there a God at all if we live in a world where children die of preventable diseases?

Some people point to signs of God's presence and concern, in the people who rush to rescue others in times of need. God is in the impulse of firefighters and medical volunteers, peacekeepers and chaplains who enter the arenas of danger to offer their help.

God is in the mother who holds the wailing baby and calms their fears in the middle of the night. God is in the church full of enthusiastic believers praising the Lord, and God is in the silent church where one elderly person kneels to say their rosary.

God is on the bus, making room for one more person to sit. God is in the monastery, praying for a world that has forgotten the Divine Name.  Where people mourn, God is there. And when people comfort the mourners, God is there, too.

And when you celebrate, God shares the joy with you. When you're afraid, God bolsters your courage and gives you the strength to carry on. And when you are in doubt,  the divine gift of faith provides you with the grace to move forward into the darkness.

God is in the Sacraments and God is in the routines and rhythms of domestic life. God shares the triumph and tragedy, the gains and the losses. 

When you find yourself on the stormy sea, and Jesus comes near your boat, you know you can trust Him when He invites you to walk on the waves with Him. You will never be stranded. Where you are, God is.

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Fr. Lloyd Baugh SJ, and “Exploring the Word”