The latin phrase above refers to the notion that our God is hidden, or has removed himself from us. In the Bible, there are references to our sin being a reason as to why God might seem absent to us at times. Other times, he willingly chooses to do so to enable our faith to grow.
Sometimes it is difficult to see God at all in the world. In the movie, "Tears of the Sun", a U.S Navy platoon led by a cynical, battle hardened lieutenant is asked to evacuate a mission. When they set off, a priest wishes them " May God go with you". The lieutenant casts a wry small and answers: "God has left Africa"
When one looks at the atrocities in Rwanda, Sudan or Angola; one might come to the conclusion that God has left Africa. When a Georgian woman looks at her bombed out house and dead children; who can blame her when she says that God has left Georgia. Or when you walk the streets of an inner city slum and see the down and out of society; has God left our city? Or more personally, when you pray for healing and it just doesn't come; and your loved one passes away - has God absconded?
I admit I have a hard time telling people that God is still around in the face of all this. I have even less time for my fellow Christians with their loopy eschatology theories that promise a new earth after this one is razed. Raze this one? Dudes, it's already burning to the ground. And rather than doing anything about it, the ones who claim to be Christians are washing their hands off the whole thing and curiously acquiring material wealth; an odd behaviour for those about to meet King Jesus in the sky
If I was an observer from outer space, the most likely observation that I would have on earth is that they are a young race in need of careful supervision and intervention because they do not seem capable of running affairs properly. But who would run this? God? But where is he? Why is the God of the Bible, in terms of revelation, so..if I may use the word...fickle?
He storms in when he wants to but remains curiously private; revealing himself within a tribal semi-nomadic race. He does it through prophets, signs which require interpretation rather than appearing in person and succintly declaring and proving once and for all that he is God. So, even if he is not Deus Abscondus, he is remarkably shy for a large God
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What then, may I ask, do you make the prophet's eschatology of a new heavens and a new earth? A new Jerusalem, in which God's reign is visible and visibly righteous, where shalom is established eternally. Is this not the hope of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Jesus, Paul, Peter, John, etc.? Deus Abscondus will become the Deus Revelatus.
But, of course, in the meantime our God is rather shy, or rather, removed, in holiness. "Though the darkness hide thee; though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see; only thou art holy."
This hiddeness of God is divine judgment. He has, according to Scripture, handed us over, in our thanklessness and rebellion, to our own sin and its disasterous consequences. Fortunately, God has not left us entirely to our own folly. In Christ, God showed up. Jesus is the Deus Revelatus (Jn.1:18), God in the flesh! He was revealed in a cradle, walking alongside the Judean country-side, hung upon a Roman cross. Now, we do not see him, but we love him, and are filled with joy (1Pe.1:8-9), as we await his revelation in glory and power. Deus abscondus will become Desu revelatus fully and finally in the consummation of the kingdom of God.
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