Clouds

I'm looking out my window at the kind of sky and cloud that evoke thoughts of Maxfield Parrish, Frank Benson and Thomas Eakins: grand and glorious, luminous, even. But the cloud I see also gives rise to images of God. Among the names ascribed to God by the ancients was Yahweh. We still aren't sure how to translate or, to be honest, even pronounce, this name, but we know it harks back to the idea of the divinity as a Storm God, mighty in battle, manifested in thunderheads and strong winds. It's a vision of power. And it's a vision that is radically transformed when seen through Jesus, the lens through which we can see power in a new way: instead of compelling force, it becomes enabling possibility; instead of a tool of aggrandizement, it is meant to be used in service; instead of a means for bulllying and oppression, it offers room for humility and sharing.

During Lent, we are invited to wander off into the desert to gain a new perspective on things, to renew, refresh and repent, that we may be better prepared to live with God and one another. This day, I pray that we each have a chance to see a cloud, a friend, our faith, in a new way.