Page 6 - BMTYS - eMagazine - 3rd Edition

Is God still behind a veil?

“Then the curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in
two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks
split apart,” Mathew 27:51 Jaisa Mariam Jose
Roll No. 297
The crucifixion of Jesus quite literally tore the veil covering the most
Holy Place of the Temple. The veil symbolizes that man was separated
from God because of sin. With its tearing no longer was man separated
from God. So why is it that despite everything we read in the Bible,
we sometimes feel God is still hidden? Many a time we feel God is
indifferent to the sufferings and pains we endure in our lives.
In the Book of Exodus, we see that God was actively involved in the day-
to-day affairs of the people. He spoke to humans directly and wrote
the 10 commandments by his hand. Throughout the Old Testament,
we can see God punishing Israelites for their rebellious behavior and
forgiving them when they repented. While reading the Old Testament,
one couldn’t help but wonder why Israelites kept disobeying God when
the consequences were clear for their actions.
It is simply because humans despite all guidance simply exercise their
will to not to obey. Out of all God’s creations, human beings alone
have a unique feature; they have the moral capacity to rebel against
their Creator, that is they are free. The relationship that Israelites
maintained with God was transactional in nature. They obeyed God
when it suited their needs and disobeyed when they wished. Isn’t it
the same for us? We pray to God when we need his help and later go
on happily forgetting his blessings. To put it simply we treat God as an
ATM, someone who can fulfill our needs and desires. However what
about God’s feelings? How does he feel when we cast him away once
we get what we want?
For the Israelites who were freed from Egypt, they were amazed by
God maybe even feared him. However, they could never love him. When
clear-cut directions are given, it takes away the freedom to choose
thus taking away their ability to believe and love God. It appears that
God was looking for love but was met with fear and indifference.

Very often we relegate God to a spiritual realm, forgetting that God
desires humans who could love him unconditionally just like he does.
Perhaps it is not that God chooses to veil from us but rather we choose

6 Bahrain Mar Thoma
Yuvajana Sakhyam