isn't it great God isn't here

Many know that I'm a pretty big fan of the author, priest, philosopher, and spiritual director Henri Nouwen. His depth-founding thoughts regularly find that place in my spirit that I had forgotten. Today I was reminded of these quotes by him:

The great mystery of the divine revelation is that God entered into intimacy with us not only by Christ’s coming but also by his leaving.

God’s presence is so much beyond the human experience of being together that it quite easily is perceived as absence. God’s absence, on the other hand, is often so deeply felt that is leads to a new sense of God’s presence.

The experience of God’s presence is not void of pain. But the pain is so deep that you do not want to miss it since it is in this pain that the joy of God’s presence can be tasted… in which the distinction between joy and pain seems to be transcended…

~ Henri Nouwen