Truly, you are a God who hides yourself 1
You create the heavens and earth as wholly other
Raised above all with arms outstretched
You only come down to the face of the waters
When all is black and chaotic and empty 5
And when you do show yourself, we hide
Truly, you are a God who hides yourself
You are in a bush, in a cloud, in a fire
In a tent, in a box, in a broken law
You cover our faces with your hand 10
And when you shine through men’s faces
We cannot look, but fall down on our own
Truly, you are a God who hides yourself
You speak through mad prophets and asses
You sing through murderers and kings 15
You write on rocks and walls and hearts
And when you finally send the Word to us
You send it as a bastard babbling baby
Truly, you are a God who hides yourself
Recognized only by those about to die 20
Even your own parents cannot find you
And your camping cousin is not quite sure
But the doves and pigs are quite convinced
And so we ask you to depart with haste
Truly, you are a God who hides yourself 25
You walk the earth with no form or comeliness
You receive no honor in your own country
You eat and party with sinners and drunks
And when you are finally lifted into plain sight
You die like a criminal and blasphemer 30
Truly, you are a God who hides yourself
But who would double-check a sealed tomb
Why question a gardener in a garden
Why ask a fellow traveler on the road
And when you break your own body for us 35
You disappear leaving only the living word
Truly, you are a God who hides yourself
Seen by well over five-hundred souls
As you hide yourself away in the clouds
Blinding those who see and so believe 40
Then taking them to see you again
And forbidding them to speak a word
Truly you are a God who hides yourself
Dwelling behind smoke and curtains
Living in wine and rising in bread 45
Making of many one whole body
And just as we see you in the sanctuary
Suddenly you are only our neighbor
Truly, you are a God who hides yourself
Blessed those who believe without seeing 50
Blessed those who see you in everything
Blessed those in whom I always see you
Bless those who somehow see you in me
Truly, you are a God who hides yourself
View Footnotes
Line 1: Isaiah 45:15 “Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior.”
Line 3: Revelation 13:8 “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”
Line 6: Genesis 3:8
Line 8: Exodus 3; Exodus 13
Line 9: Exodus 40; Exodus 25; Exodus 32
Line 10: Exodus 33:22
Line 11-12: Exodus 34:25-39; Matthew 17:6
Line 14: Numbers 22
Line 15: Psalm 50 (51)
Line 16: Exodus 31, 34; Daniel 5; Jeremiah 31:33
Line 17: John 1
Line 18: Luke 1-2
Line 20: Luke 2:21-38
Line 21: Luke 2:39-52
Line 22: Luke 7:18-23
Line 23-24: Matthew 3:16; Matthew 8:30-34
Line 26: Isaiah 53:2
Line 27: Mark 6:4
Line 28: Luke 7:34
Line 29: John 12:32
Line 30: Luke 23:32-43
Line 32: Matthew 27:66
Line 33: John 20:15
Line 34-36: Luke 24:13-35
Line 38-39: I Corinthians 15:6; Acts 1:9
Line 40: Acts 9
Line 41-42: I Corinthians 2:2-4
Line 44-48: These are references to the Orthodox liturgy. Incense, a curtained altar area, elements of the Eucharist (we use leavened bread), we become the one body of Christ as we receive him together, and then we see Christ in each other.
Line 50: John 20:29
Line 51: Romans 8:28
Line 52-53: I John 4:12
Many thanks to Stormimay for proofreading and suggesting a couple of valuable changes. She can be read at whirlygiglife.blogspot.com