Of all the ways people view God—that of the distant observer is probably the most common. I guess it fits the narrative we already have set up in our minds. It fits, because of all the evidence of His existence, it indirectly points to Him but isn’t direct proof of Him. Since we generally don’t see Him appear on our front doorstep, we naturally conclude that He’s distant and, even, disinterested. And, as a result, we conclude He’s not paying attention.
This understanding of God is fairly ubiquitous today. Those who have a general, but nondescript, belief in God also have a general understanding that He’s far off in the distance, but not directly involved in day-to-day events. Songs which are sung by the likes of Bette Midler describe such a God: “God is watching us…from a distance”. Of course, she has to add that addendum on there—‘from a distance’. While I agree with her general sentiment on God’s all-seeing characteristics, I would part ways with her in constructing an image of an uninvolved and disconnected God.
I think, myself, of the image of a lighthouse keeper, or even an air traffic controller; both are, in fact, distant in the sense of physical presence, but neither is divorced from, or disinterested in the happenings of the ships and planes under their charge. While they’re out of sight, they’re objects of concern are certainly not out of mind. It’s especially the case of the air traffic controller. He is heavily invested in getting each plane at a safe altitude and a safe trajectory to avoid a dangerous mishap. His physical presence has no bearing on his involvement with the pilots or the plane as a whole. He’s in constant communication and he’s seeing the big picture better than the pilots can. I suppose the same is true of the lighthouse keeper. He shoots out a beacon of light for oncoming ships to see and warn them of land. His entire purpose is to promote the safe navigation of maritime vessels in the area.
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But what does this illustrate? Perceived distance doesn’t equate to a lack of interest, does it. These helpers of navigation are even in some ways more invested in these ships and planes, themselves. As much responsibility as each vessel or plane have, they have a certain level of responsibility that’s even broader and farther reaching. I believe this might better illustrate a God we sometimes have difficulty understanding. Certainly, I believe He has a vested interest in our welfare. To paint Him as a cavalier creator of the universe who planted Himself in some far off nether region to avoid dealing with us not only does Him a disservice, but gives us a flawed view of who God is and precludes His involvement in our lives on a personal level. If we can consider another possibility, we might see Him as one who—even though He may seem distant—maybe He’s really not.