The Absence of God

hey everyone, for a bit yesterday seth, steve, and i were talking about the difficulty that is found between the biblical reality proclaimed in light of Christ and the way it appears to us now. Christ's life, death, and resurrection are the pivot points of reality, God's kingdom is at hand, and in Christ we are restored to fellowship with God and one another. Yet, when we look back on history most of it is pretty messed up with disease, war, famine, hatred, hypocrisy, with little evidence of the breaking in of God. i just found a quote which i think aptly summarizes my feelings much of the time:
"I believe, therefore I suffer. Believers suffer with the suffering, for they would like to rejoice with the suffering and yet in their suffering they continue to long for the joy withheld from them. The believer grieves over the lack of love and hope [in the world] which proceeds from lack of freedom, justice, and peace [in the world]. But when believers look into a world painfully marked by death and the henchmen of death, as believers they also sufer deeply over the experience of the hiddenness of God's activity..." --Eberhard Jungel
the quote goes on from there and has some interesting thoughts on reality in the face of this, but this was the part that resonated most with me. no earth-shattering solutions on my point, but i think that Jungel articulates somethings i've been wrestling with. you're welcome to read the rest of the quote at http://fireandrose.blogspot.com if interested.
cheers,
daniel