Ummm…. no.  God isn’t “up there somewhere.”  Scripture tells us that Christ ascended into the clouds, and will come back to earth in the same manner he left.  Which by the way, doesn’t necessarily mean He will descend from the clouds, I believe the passage just means that He will return in glory, just as He left in glory.  But I digress.

I say this because of another website that was started by some young Christians asking others to pray for God’s creation any time they fly because “you’re never closer to God than at 30,000 feet.”  Now, let me just say that I think these folks have the best of intentions and I love the fact that they are using their time in a jet wisely; in prayer rather than watching the in-flight movie.   But to think that you are closer to God just because you’re high up in the atomosphere is theologically incorrect, and really just deist.  This is a god who as Christian Smith explains, “created the world, and defines our general moral order, but not one who is particularly personally involved in one’s affairs–especially affairs in which one would prefer not to have God involved. Most of the time, the God of this faith keeps a safe distance.”

But scripture doesn’t teach us that God watches us “from above.”  He is intimately involved in all of creation.  Job 38:39-41 speak of how God even provides food for the lion cubs and young ravens “when it’s young ones cry to God and wander around in search of food.”  Our God manages His creation every minute.  He doesn’t sit on some throne up above the clouds.  We’ve been above the clouds and He wasn’t found there.  We’ve been as far as Mars and no one has seen His temple.

If you really want to be close to God, visit a prison.  Visit an old folk’s home.  Visit a hospice.  You’ll never be closer to God than when you’re next to someone who is about to meet Him…