God's self-distancing: what a global pandemic might teach us about God

As a global pandemic is compelling a majority of the world population to physically distance themselves from one another - essentially out of love for fellow humans - we are given a unique lens to explore that a God of love (1 John 4.8, 16) equally keeps himself distant from humanity in certain regards. God distances himself because he loves. Jungel, Moltmann and others have argued for God's self-limitation before creation because of his love; it is therefore worthwhile reflecting if this divine self-contraction (orZimzum) is not analogous to a kind of self-distancing of God from his creation. This then might offer additional insights to understand God's seeming absence in creation - which likewise might be motivated by God's love.