So where is God, if not here?

The holiday season is in full swing. Cash registers are ringing, women
are beating each other in a scramble for the best parking spots, and
images of Santa are everywhere.

Despite the barrage of holiday imagery and sound since Thanksgiving,
I've only heard Jesus or God mentioned once that I can recall. And that
was on television during an advertisement for the Mormon church. This
is quite shocking, because I live in a town that has an insane number of
churches for a town of its size. The 2000 census indicated there were
about 55,000 people here. The exact number escapes me, but the number
of churches is over 100.

The churches in Bismarck are bursting at the seams, and congregations
are opening franchises on the fringes of the city just as fast as the
Wal-Marts and shopping malls.

I think it's hilarious. Because in such a holy city, God is not
visible. The people don't seem to exude any sort of Christian
philosophy. Maybe an individual will have a Jesus fish on the back of
their gigantic SUV. But that's really about it. In Bismarck, you don't
see God unless you go looking for Him.

The church simply is not attractive or inspiring unless you're already
in the thick of it. It seems rather clique-like, closed, and definitely
artificial. Do all these people really believe?

I just don't know. Do you?