God's Immanence

[Brad Fox]

Immanence.  It’s an unusual word that you don’t hear very often.  I would guess that most people would have no idea about its meaning.  Many Christians know the word omnipresence as it refers to the characteristic of God being everywhere simultaneously.  Immanence is a related idea, but it extends the meaning of omnipresence.  Steven Mosley describes this divine attribute in his book, Glimpses of God.

 

Omnipresence describes the location of God, not so much what His activities or intentions are.  Mosley writes that immanence describes the depth and width of God’s heart.  It’s not a matter of a personalized “force” or “organization” being everywhere present, but of a God that has an infinite desire and capacity to give of Himself.  Simply stated, Mosley says the “omnipresence in not just a great quantity of God filling space.  It’s a quality as well.”  He quotes Psalm 46:1 (¹God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble) that describes God’s availability to help us in our time of need. 

 

Possibly one of the most trite testimonies that people use to praise others is the attribute of “being there” for one another.  After you’ve heard it repetitiously during group gatherings, it tends to lose its significance.  We all understand what the person is trying to say, but its common use dilutes its impact.  But Mosley writes that God is qualitatively different in the way He is “there” for us.

 

Mosley admits that his own human ability to “be there” for others is limited.  He talks about often losing focus on what others talk about, daydreaming about other personal thoughts.  Sometimes we are caught in our mental drift as we have to ask people to repeat themselves, which can lead to irritation and strained relationships.  Mosley points out, though, that one of the most vibrant life experiences is to be totally present and “in the moment” with another person.  He shares a memory about spending an afternoon with a particularly lovely young woman.  He was totally present for her through all five of his heightened senses.  But he points out that as humans, we really can’t maintain this level of awareness for long.  Our senses and thinking eventually become fatigued or bored.  And therein lies the problem.  As humans, we tend to impose our own relational  expectations and limitations on God.  We can’t envision a God who is always there for us.  When God’s physical or spiritual presence isn’t overtly obvious, we assume that He has let us down, just like every other human relationship has. 

 

This isn’t the case with God, however.  God’s sensibilities can’t be overwhelmed or exhausted.  Mosley says he can never be totally filled up; he can absorb every thought, every change and action in the universe.  He calls God “surpassingly present”, or in other words, immanent.  His “caring gaze” focuses so intensely on each of his created children, that the result is “expansion” of our lives.  Mosley makes an important point here.  He states that when God communicates His own “unrestricted presence” to people, we get a divine vision of what it’s like to be totally present, totally engaged, in another persons’ life.  Mosley says “God pushes us outward…out of the tangle of our own lives and into helping others.”  Accordingly, God touches us “accurately and specifically” in the areas of our lives that will free us to be immanent for others. So God the insatiable giver trains us to enjoy life to the fullest by becoming givers as well.  He imparts His infinite immanence into human vessels that must be continually replenished and regenerated by his presence.

 

Some years ago, I read an account of the teaching methods of Jesus.  In this account, the author stated that Jesus wasn’t just available to his disciples and followers; He was approachable.  But I think Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Father go beyond this.  They totally engage with people if they are given even the weakest invitation to do so.  They want to “be there” for us to such an extent that we can truly be there for other people who desperately need our love and the love of an all-powerful God.  God wants us to be givers like Himself.