This question may seem simple, but in reality it touches something deep within every human being. Because the way you answer it changes not only your view of God, but also your sense of life itself.
Do you feel that God is really close to you? Or does he seem far away, and you only encounter him at specific moments—in prayer, or when things get tough?
Many people, without realizing it, carry a certain image of God. They see Him only in the sky, separate from the details of their daily lives, as if His presence is linked to a place or time. When they need him, they turn to him, but the rest of the time they live as if he is far away.
But is this really the truth? Or is it just an image we learned over time?
When Jesus spoke about God, he did not present Him in this way. He did not speak of a God who was far away and difficult to reach, but rather of a God who knew man personally. A God who hears, sees, and cares. The idea was not that God is somewhere far away waiting to be reached, but that He is near in a way we do not expect.
Rather, he went further than that, when he likened the relationship with God to the relationship of a father with his children. This image, despite its simplicity, carries a deep meaning. Because the father’s relationship with his son is not a formal relationship, nor is it based on distance, but rather on closeness, knowledge and trust.
However, within many people there remains a sincere feeling: “I am talking to God… but I do not feel that anyone hears me.”
This feeling is not strange, but it does not necessarily mean that God is not listening. Perhaps because we associate hearing in a certain way, or with specific words, or with a certain feeling. But the picture that Jesus presented was different. He did not say that God hears those who speak a lot, or those who use special words, but rather pointed out that God knows what is in the heart before it is said in words.
It is as if the relationship with him does not begin with the tongue, but with honesty.
What is striking in Jesus’ life is that he did not only approach those who were considered close to God in the eyes of people, but rather he approached specifically those who felt far away. Of the weak, of the sad, of those who carry an inner feeling of guilt or unworthiness. His presence with them conveyed a simple but profound message: God is not far from you.
Here appears the contradiction experienced by many. God may be near, but man feels far away. The reason may not be in God, but in the way we look at Him. Sometimes we are afraid to approach because we find it harsh, or we turn away because we feel unworthy, or simply because we do not know how to begin.
We think that the problem is in the distance, while it may be in the direction.
But what if God is closer than you imagine? What if he hears you now, and understands you, even those things you don’t know how to express? What if he is not waiting for perfect words from you, but is just waiting for you to come as you are?
Maybe the beginning is not as complicated as we imagine. Perhaps you only need to speak honestly, without arranging or falsifying, and to say what is inside you as it is.
A simple statement like: “Lord, if you are close to me, help me feel it” can be a real start.
In the end, the question remains open, not only for discussion, but for you personally: If God is truly close, why do we sometimes live as if He is far away? Is it because the distance is real…or because we haven’t tried to get close yet?