One of the most common cries I hear from my students – and it is a cry I uttered too as a theological student – is: Where is God? Why do I not hear/feel/see God anymore? Why does God feel so absent?

The paradox of studying theology is so often that when you go looking for God then God disappears. Of course much of this is because you are exposed to critical thinking, biblical scholarship and hermeneutics, and your simple faith starts seeming terribly naive.

Seminaries and universities are also notorious for having separated the academic study of theology from the spiritual disciplines, and have too often reduced theology from a habit and a discipline to a science and a subject. Reincorporating spiritual formation and mentoring are vital for theological education that is truly growthful.

And yet, the dark night of the soul that almost all students of theology go through is a vital and necessary journey of the calling to ministry. Thomas Moore’s book, Dark Nights of the Soul is a brilliant resource for those enduring this desert place.

But the simplest and most profound answer to this question and quest – ‘Where is God?’ – is from Meister Ekhart:

“God is at home. We’re the ones who have gone out for a walk.”