There are moments in life when God feels close, almost tangible, and others when God seems distant, or hidden in the noise of our circumstances. Yet the truth is we are invited to return to God who is always near.

Sometimes stepping away from the familiar we notice God’s presence more clearly. I remember a time when I was far away from home, in the mountains of Wyoming in the USA. It was a very exciting trip, but I still carried with me some challenges relating to what I had left behind. They felt heavier simply because everything around me was unfamiliar. The comfort of home and my routine was gone, and with it, any sense of control. But in that unfamiliar place, something unexpected happened as I began to notice God in a new way.

It was in the natural world that God’s nearness became real. In the quiet stillness of early mornings, in the majesty of the mountains that I walked on, there was a sense of peace I hadn’t been able to manufacture on my own. In the closeness and vastness of the skies, in the heat of the sun and the movement of trees in the wind, I was reminded that God’s presence is not confined to buildings, routines or even people. God was already there, just waiting for me to notice.

More than that, God was present in my struggles. God didn’t remove my problems but gently sustained me through them. There was a quiet reassurance saying you are not alone here. Philosopher Alfred North Whitehead describes God as “the great companion and fellow sufferer who understands”. As I stood on the top of a mountain God’s closeness and companionship was true for me.

During that time, I also found myself learning from other Christian traditions, experiences and practices. New ways of prayer, silence, and reflection that were unfamiliar but deeply enriching. They reminded me that God’s presence is not limited to any one Christian tradition but can be encountered across the richness and diversity of the Church.

Perhaps you can recognise something similar in your own life. God’s presence often shows up in ways we don’t expect. In small moments of peace, in the kindness of others, in creation and in the new and unfamiliar. This invitation is simply to pause and reflect:

• Where have you noticed glimpses of God recently? 

• When have you felt held, guided, or comforted in a way you can’t quite explain? 

• Where have you noticed that God was present in a new environment?

God’s nearness is not something we have to earn or chase. It is freely given. The more we learn to notice it, in both the beauty and the challenges of life, the more it transforms not only us, but the way we see those around us.

As we become more aware of God’s nearness in our own lives, our heart begins to expand for others. We realise that the love we’ve encountered is not for us to keep but it is a love that is meant to be shared.

Take a moment now to think of five people in your life. They might be friends, family members, colleagues, or even people you find difficult. Gently bring each one to mind.

Pray for each of them in turn, without any sense of pressure or the need for perfect words, but with honesty.

I encourage you to look for God in the new and unfamiliar of the church and the world around you today, and may the transforming love of God be your companion.

Doral Hayes, Principal Officer for Ecumenical Development and Relations, Churches Together in England