Missing.

We see that word in newspaper stories.
We see it on milk cartons, and on post office bulletin boards.
And every time I see a child’s face next to that word, 
I’m reminded that we have become a society 
    in which people can disappear 
            without a trace.

Meanwhile families morn their loss, 
    and the rest of us move on to our next preoccupation, 
        feeling there isn’t much we can do about the situation.

God deals with the same situation: 
            people missing.
        People who used to be close, 
            or at least part of the family, 
                go missing.

In fact, a lot of people are missing from God’s family.
Some have walked away.
Others have been led away, 
    kidnapped by an attraction.

Still others abandon their traditional relationship with God 
    so they can build a more meaningful one 
            with a more current conversational sound.

God rarely is the reason someone goes missing.
Misunderstanding plays a part.
Other family members play another part.

All God cares about is reconnecting.  
    The door is always open for reconnecting.

Whatever it takes, reconciliation, 
            better communication, 
                even a good crisis.  

God has all the time in the world.  
We’re the ones on limited time.  
We don’t have forever to reconnect.

When we go missing with God,
    we’ll always feel alone,
                incomplete. 
    
And even with all that power and majesty, 
    God seems to feel incomplete without us too.