As a Christian, I believed in a God who desired a relationship with His creation. Yet the reality of God's apparent absence starkly contrasts with biblical promises of His presence.
If God wants a relationship with us, why does He seem so hidden? Why do sincere seekers struggle to find convincing evidence of His existence? A clearly perceptible God would be a powerful testament to His reality—no one could deny His existence if He made Himself obvious. God is capable, yet chooses to remain hidden.
The believer responds: "God has revealed Himself through creation. As Romans 1:20 says, 'For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.'" Yet, in the same Bible, we read, "Truly you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel." Even the Bible acknowledges God's hiddenness.
But if God's revelation is so clear, why do so many fail to perceive it? Why is there such widespread disagreement about God's nature and existence, even among sincere seekers?
Does God desire a relationship with humanity? Yes. Would clear evidence of His existence foster that relationship? Yes. Does God reveal Himself in a way that cannot be explained with naturalistic phenomena? No.