Fr Alvan Ibeh: When God Seems Silent

In his regular column Fr Alvan Ibeh explains even when God seems silent, His presence remains active, inviting us to deepen our faith, trust, and hope through life’s challenges.

I have been receiving many compliments about my monthly articles, and I must say it has been very encouraging and motivating to know that many people find these articles quite helpful. During the last Chrism Mass, someone approached me and said that whenever she gets the newspaper, the first place she goes to is my page to read the article. I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you, my faithful readers, and express my gratitude for your continued compliments. All I can say is, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name be the glory” (Psalm 115:1).

The topic of my last article was “The voice of prayer is never silent”, and in this edition, we are looking at those moments when it feels that God is silent. Have you ever felt that way before? Some weeks ago, I had a very interesting encounter with one of our patients at the hospital where I work as a chaplain. When I arrived to see him, I saw he had his Bible open on his table. I was happy to see that, and we started chatting. I discovered that he knew his Scriptures very well. I was really impressed, to be honest.

At some point, I decided to test him a little bit, and I asked him this question: “Have you ever, at any point, felt that God was distant from you or that He seemed silent to your prayers?” Surprisingly, “No” was his answer. As I was not convinced that he was honest in his answer, or perhaps he did not understand very well what I asked him, I changed the question a little. I then asked him again, “So, now you are here in this hospital, facing what you are facing, have you ever felt abandoned by God?”

This time, he did not just give me a “No” answer; he went ahead to support his answer with some passages in Scripture. He quoted Colossians 1:27, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” He then said that if Christ is in us, there is no way He will be distant from us. So even when it feels like He is far away, He is right inside us, and He has promised “never to leave nor forsake us” (Hebrews 13:5).

At this point, I asked myself a very big question, which I always ask whenever I encounter such a patient: “If someone is in this condition, where they should be questioning, complaining, doubting, and getting frustrated with God for allowing them to suffer, yet they see every reason not to complain but to be grateful, what about me?” What about you reading this article right now?

Truth be told, there are moments in life when heaven appears closed and prayers seem to echo back unanswered. In seasons of grief, illness, uncertainty, or prolonged waiting, many of us find ourselves quietly asking, “Where is God? Why is He silent?” I have personally asked this question several times in my life. I imagine you may have done the same. But you must be aware of this: “This experience is not new, nor is it a sign of weak faith.” In fact, Scripture itself gives voice to this deep human struggle.

The psalmist in Psalm 13:1 cries out, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me for ever?” These are not rebellious words, but rather words of honest faith, faith that dares to speak even in confusion.

What about Job’s experience in the Bible? He was a righteous man, yet he lost everything, his wealth, his health, and his children. For chapters, God seems to remain silent while Job wrestles with pain and the misguided counsel of friends. Yet, in the midst of what looked like the silence of God, something deeper unfolds: Job’s faith is refined, stripped of superficial certainty, and rooted in trust beyond understanding.

God often operates this way; His silence does not mean inactivity. Behind the scenes, God may be shaping hearts, working out circumstances for our good, or inviting us into deeper trust. One truth we need to be assured of is this: “He is ever actively present in every situation of our lives.”

So, when God seems silent, the invitation is not to abandon faith but to deepen it. Silence can become a sacred space, a place where trust is purified, hope is tested, and love is made more resilient. All we can do is “hope and wait still.” I hope this blesses your heart.

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