Fourth Sunday of Advent
Reflection
They shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.”
Where is God hiding? Are you and I searching for God? I am touched by an incredible story by the famed Elie Wiesel Auschwitz survivor and Nobel Peace Prize Recipient.
The grandson of Rabbi Baruch, Yehiel, burst into tears in his room. The Rabbi asked: “Yehiel, Yehiel, why these tears? Why are you crying?” “My friend cheated, it’s not just grandpa, it’s not fair for a friend to cheat!” “But what did your friend do?” “We were playing hide-and-seek. I hid so well that he could not find me; so, he stopped playing, he did not look for me anymore. Do you understand, grandpa? I hid and he did not look for me. It’s not fair!” Rabbi Baroukh, upset, began to caress the boy’s head, and tears flowed from his eyes: “God, too, Yehiel, “he murmured, “God is sad too. God hides, and human beings do not seek Him. Do you understand, Yehiel? God hides and humans do not even bother to look for Him. “(Source: Translated from Elie Wiesel’s book Célébration hassidique (1978), which was later published in English as Somewhere a Master (1998).
Understanding the above narrative calls firstly for addressing one of the foundations of Hasidic philosophy. The central pillar of Hasidic doctrine can be summed up in the brief adage,
“There is no place absent of God.”
God’s presence pervades all existence. (Arthur Green, Hasidism without Supernaturalism, Tikkun, May 27, 2022) In our first-grade catechism, I was taught that God is everywhere. We were taught that God’s presence pervades all existence. Hence, it is possible to uncover such a presence in everything human and all creation possesses the incandescence of God’s presence. Yes, God is hiding where most of us would never think to look, within our very selves. Remind yourself of this theological dictum the next time you use a mirror.
Emmanuel means “God is With Us”, you and me, and this is our Hope and belief on our Path to the Manger.
