A few weeks ago, I went on a trip to Japan. And while on the flight, in the skies above those small little islands in southwest Alaska, a thought came to me: God is here, too.

Now, quite obviously God was present there in the plane. I was praying, and there was probably at least a few others on the flight who were praying. When two or three are gathered together, there is God in the midst of them. And even if it was only me who was praying, God was still present, because God is with us whether we’re engaged in praying or not. We don’t have to be with God for God to be with us.

That’s not, however, what I was feeling when I thought “God is here, too.” That word “here” referred to the space in which we were flying, not the plane itself. Ten thousand feet above open waters and far, distant islands, where the air is freezing and thin, God is still present. God’s still there. We can’t escape God by flying as high as we possibly can (or, thinking of Jonah, diving down as far as we possible can). God is always there, no matter how far we go.

When preparing to step out onto the lunar surface during the Apollo 11 mission, astronaut Buzz Aldrin apparently celebrated Communion with Bread and Wine. According to the page linked above, he was prepared to read John 15:5: “I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.” That’s a pretty telling verse for someone about to make history by stepping out onto the Moon for the first time. God had brought Aldrin there – through grace, of course, but also by hard work, long hours, and lots of patience – but God was also already there when those two men put their Earthling feet out on the Sea of Tranquility. God had been on the Moon since before Aldrin was born. Even in that lonely, empty air – air that can barely even be called air it’s so thin – God was still present.

We don’t bring God with us. We go to God, and we go with God. Nor is this just some semantic difference. When we understand that the world, even the entire universe, is infused with God’s presence, we realize that we’re never really alone. That powerful, Loving presence never steps away from us, even when we try and step away from God.

This is wisdom that I’ve heard a number of times in the hospital, too. I sit or stand next to the bedside of someone who’s really sick, and I pray that God is with them. And when I’m finished praying, the person says, “You know, I’m never alone” in this voice that makes me believe them. Who else are we to trust about God than the ones who Jesus promised to watch over?