The other day Morgan was building “block-shapes” that all resembled houses (many more than i was able to catch on camera-unfortunately). They were cool, I must admit – made up of “circle” blocks with triangle blocks on top. Naturally, as she made more and more of these house shaped objects, the circle blocks became harder and harder to come by. She sorted through the box and had cleaned most of them out. I even tried to help by piecing 2 semi-circles together to make 1 circle, but she didn’t go for the impostor…only the real “circle” blocks would do. Somewhere in this search she exclaimed, “Where are the circle blocks?! Are they hiding?”
For the expectant and honest child, the blocks simply had to be hiding. She didn’t entertain the option that there were no more, or that she wasn’t looking in the right places…just figured they were “in hiding” (like the old Pearl Jam song I guess).
I immediately thought of this Lenten season and the idea of wilderness…40 days, years. It occurred to me that Morgan was voicing what many of us sense and wonder about God ½ the time. If we were honest, as we scramble and search for God I think we would find ourselves repeating David’s inquiry: “…How long (O Lord) will you hide your face from me?” This is a hard question, a good question, and an honest question…one that Lent provides space to ask. I love questions like this and the fact that our ancestors were named “Israel” (One who wrestles [with God]). It gets us closer to the heart of the journey, and at least for me this time – closer to what’s often going on. Yes, as I reflected on times where Christ seems to be distant I was reminded of another classic story of hide and seek. In the garden it was Adam, not the Father, who gave hiding a shot; and have we ever really stopped?
As we learn anew of the God who does not hide in the clouds but took on flesh and a cross, may the light of Christ shine on us – and may we awake, arise, shuck the fig leaves, and ourselves come out of hiding.
