Throughout the ages, many spiritual traditions use the illustration of a cloud to represent God. Clouds were more than “a visible mass of condensed water vapor floating… high above the ground.” For spiritual people, they represent the Holy One who is so powerful and so pure that a mere mortal would faint (or perhaps even die) in the presence of such magnificence. French novelist and playwright, Honore de Balzac observed that “Clouds symbolize the veils that shroud God.”
The Judeo-Christian tradition has many stories of how God appears to the faithful followers as a cloud that speaks to them and guides them on a special journey. The very first mention of a cloud is found in the book of Genesis (9:13-16). Here God communicates the promise of His eternal presence to his people by forming a rainbow in the sky from the clouds. For people of faith, clouds were a physical connection to the Holy One. Many bible stories indicate that when people followed the cloud, God would be guiding them and protecting them. When Moses led the people of Israel through the wilderness to escape from Pharoah, the oppressive monarch, they were led by God’s presence in a cloud. Genesis 13:21 (NIV) “By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.”
These days we have another type of cloud which is unseen. It is referred to as cloud computing: a network of computer facilities filled with information that is stored and processed electronically so it can be shared with others who are in remote locations. This helps us remain connected to the internet which (in turn) links us to each other. People get very upset if they cannot connect to the internet, especially if they are working on papers or projects to send or present to others. There is nothing more frustrating than having all your hard work lost in the cloud or cyber space and having to re-create it all over again. Also, it is necessary to have a connection to appear at an important Zoom meeting. This type of technology helped keep many spiritual gatherings medically safer, for example by having services conducted remotely during COVID so we would not expose each other to this contagion. Even though we were watching a service in different parts of the world, we could be connected through this network. So many types of gatherings were conducted through the technology and mystery of this cloud. The world learned to adjust to a new way of maintaining contact and being together.
There were many attempts to improve communication. From Alexander Graham Bell, who is credited for inventing the telephone, to businessman Cyrus West Fields and engineer Frederick Newton Gisborne, who helped to build the first underwater cable to facilitate cross-Atlantic communication between the continents. This technological feat was a matter of trial and error that lasted over twelve years before it was successful. The understanding of electricity and technology were not as prevalent as they are today. Still, these visionary inventors and investors were the pioneers of communication as we know it today. The Internet was invented by dozens of scientists and engineers. The worldwide web was developed as an information management system by Tim Berners-Lee. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates facilitated the widespread adoption of the cloud by making computers less expensive and accessible to ordinary people.
While this cloud is not viewed as holy, it can still be used for good. We can use this resource to search for things that are edifying and intellectually stimulating. The cloud has many search engines that can help us find information. I use the cloud to help me with my text broadcasts and other creative writing. But I don’t forget about the Holy One, lest I lose sight of what is important: especially my relationships. The cloud of the Almighty is far more powerful than the internet cloud. People of faith pray, meditate and reflect with God. The writer of Psalms 36:5 declared, “Your loving kindness, Lord, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies…” The Holy One is reflected in the goodness of all creations, even our technology. The Great Spirit literally brings us all together. We need each other to accomplish our work and relate to each other. My prayer for you is that you remember your connection to God as you look among the clouds.
