Would our lives be easier or harder if we knew exactly which direction God wanted us to journey? To dwell in a world in which free will was limited and God was all-controlling. While the anxiety of decision-making would be eliminated, wonder, surprise and awe might also be rid from existence. How are miracles experienced when we are face-to face with a God that commands each of our waking steps?

In a modern world, we explore the notion of Hester Panim, a God actively hiding their face. This theology is one in which human beings maintain power over their choices but still experience a present God. Not a God that moves each human limb to do God’s desire, but a God that is “veiled enough” to allow for a magical blend of divine involvement with human interaction. Rabbi Irving Greenberg writes, “A simple denial of God would appear to deny the reality of redemption in our time and the validation of biblical promise by contemporary fulfillment.”

In other words, while we don’t physically and mentally “move” when God’s presence lifts from our homes, God is still very much present. The question remains: Who is hiding from whom? Remember the title of Rabbi Abraham Heschel’s famous book: “God in Search of Man.” Perhaps modern theology is no longer wondering where God has been. God is eternally here. The question God continues to ask: Where are you?