In the Clouds
We walked in the clouds. WOW, what a sight. We were hiking up Mt. Etna a second time, because it was so much fun we had to go up again on our next rest day. With the noise and business of the city, the tranquility of the mountain is refreshing. Even Isaiah said unprompted, “It’s quiet.” When we asked him if he liked the quiet, he said, “Yes.” It’s a beautiful thing. As we were hiking, most of my thoughts were on Jesus going up the mountain to pray, Moses going up the mountain to meet with God, Jesus going up a mountain to be transfigured, Elijah going up a mountain to contend with Baal, and Abraham going up a mountain to sacrifice his son. Mountains were the place of many important events. People met with God on the mountain. Abraham saw God provide, Moses saw God’s back, Elijah saw God’s power, and Jesus heard God’s voice.
It was different experience hiking up Mount Etna thinking about those men hiking up mountains as well. The trail we hiked is difficult, but it is not strenuous by any means. Yet it takes a long time to reach the top. It is hard. When God called people up the mountain, the journey was hard. It required work. It required sweat. It required sacrifice of time, and energy. It reminds me that at times to meet with God, to see His power, to watch Him work, we must work. It does not come without effort. We cannot learn the Italian language without working hard. People cannot hear a message of truth without a pastor crafting a message to proclaim it. Relationships with non-believers do not just happen. They require intentionality. Reaching the mountaintops with God requires us to do something hard.
Another aspect of the mountain that stood out to me that day was the clouds. When we were almost to the top of the trail, we could see wisps of clouds all around us and below us. If anyone was looking up at the mountain they would have seen the cloud we were in. I remember explaining to Moriah and Isaiah, “We are walking in a cloud!” They thought this was special, and it’s something we’ve brought up as a fun memory ever since. There is no way to describe what is was like to know that a cloud was surrounding you. All I could think of was God’s presence around Moses on the mountain and when the disciples were able to see Jesus transfigured. What was it like? The awe of being in God’s presence and glory. No, we did not see God that day as we hiked. But we did see His majesty in creation, in the stillness, in the beauty. But then we had to come back down the mountain. The hike was so special I didn’t want it to end. I wanted to stay there for a long time. Yet, we had to go back. Isaiah needed a nap. We would need more food than the packed lunch. We had work to do. Just as Moses had to go back down with the Ten Commandments, Elijah had to go back down after the fire of God came down, Jesus had to go down to minister to more people after hearing God’s voice. The mountain was not a place they could stay. It was a place to hear God. Then there was a call to go back down the mountain. Down to those who had not heard the voice, down to those who needed healing, down to those who were lost, down to those who were hurting. The mountaintop is not a place we can stay. It is a beautiful place to experience God, but it is not a place to live. We have to come back down and love the people God puts in front of us.
This is what I’ve been meditating on ever since our last hike up Mt. Etna. How can I live in light of God’s presence? I cannot be on the mountaintop every day with Him, but how can I live in light of the fact that He is present with me? He is at work. I can join Him. The same God who meets us in the clouds is the same God who submitted to His Father’s will of suffering on the cross. That is breathtaking. That is an example to follow. May we all remember it in the moments that we long again to be on the mountain. The same God who leads us up the jagged rocks is the same one who leads us into the valley.
