By Rev. Aidan Moon

Hiding in Plain Sight

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking this SoundCloud link.

“Truly, you are a God who hides himself,
    O God of Israel, the Savior.”

– Isaiah 45:15, English Standard Version

As we enter October, and people start to decorate with a bizarre array of Halloween decorations, some also start thinking about Halloween costumes. As a kid, I loved to wear costumes, to disguise myself and make myself at home in a character or a mask. Not too long ago, my son decided he would rather be a triceratops (complete with stylish sunglasses) for the day. He was in disguise.

A theme of scripture is that God himself often comes in disguise. We sometimes refer to this concept as God being “hidden.” The hidden God is God in His complete glory, the mystery, the sovereignty of His will. This is the God who created the heavens and earth, but who is not always visible within them. We see nature, for example, and all at once we might see a beautiful sunrise and the devastation of a hurricane. This is a fearful reality! Or, we might see our own lives and try to figure out who God is based on our experience. But this, too, is limited. God seems hidden. We can’t know His character.

But Scripture teaches us that this hiddenness of God is a mercy. That God’s glory is veiled so that we will not be overcome, destroyed by it. And so God comes to us in hidden ways. He wears “masks” in the world. In our day-to-day, this is in the provision of all kinds of vocations, as we fill the roles God gives. For example, parents care for their children – but in reality, God is providing for them. The parents are like gloves on his hands, or a mask.

But ultimately, God is revealed in Christ. God comes to us, masked, perhaps, by His human flesh but truly God.

“For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily...”

– Colossians 2:9, English Standard Version

It is here, in the crucified one, that we find God, revealed to us. He isn’t hidden but has come near to us, even if it is in a way we would never expect. Trying to see behind the masks of creation or vocations might lead us to wonder who God is, but we truly know God’s love and mercy through Jesus.

Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado