Christ Among the Clouds

Oh, dear reader. I am not a frequent-flier. No, in fact, up until this past week I had not flown in seven years. Train rides? I love them. Buses? They’re just fine. Roadtrips? Everyday events. But flying? Not so much.

I LOVE airports. In fact, a friend and I were talking the other day about the underlying romance - a Dickens, Austen, Alcott, romance - of airports. The bustle, life, stories, people, hidden within. I… love… airports. (Okay, I love the airport terminals once I’m past the craze and chaos of TSA)

But the truth of the matter is, I cannot get past the concept of a bus… in the air. Think about that - a clunky, city bus, with a couple of wings strapped on, up 30,000 feet in the air? It just shouldn’t work in my opinion. And since I have a fear of falling? Airplanes just seem ridiculous. But, alas, I digress.

Yet, two weekends ago, I flew. And up among the clouds, I began to better understand the concept of Christ’s role in our forgiveness of sins.

In the Christian faith, we believe that the blood of Christ has ‘covered over’ our sins, such that when God looks at us, He no longer sees our sins, which separate us from Himself, but instead sees the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Indeed, the Scriptures say it this way: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” It is not that our sins do not exist. It is not that our sins were snapped out of existence. In fact, some sins we continue to battle with every day of our lives. Rather, those sins are no longer what God sees as our identity. I must admit, though, that this concept has never been entirely transparent to me. But as I said, this past weekend I found myself turning to Christ among the clouds.

I picked a window seat. Maybe you also do this, or maybe you think I am nuts for doing so. But I am glad I did, because I stayed glued to the window through the entire flight - only “coming up for air,” (turning from the window) to answer questions from the flight attendants or converse with my seatmates. And oh, goodness gracious, did I ever enjoy the views!!! How could I not? Are they not gorgeous?

Lifesize towns grew slowly smaller, until they were toy-towns, legos, and then nothing more than a living map, far below me. Gorgeous, green, blue, beauty, my heart. I was transfixed in the beauty of God’s creation. As I viewed the world with a ‘bird’s eye,’ I listened to my “Flight Worship,” playlist and found myself understanding John Glenn’s (Christian and Astronaut) words, “To look out at this kind of creation and not believe in God to me is impossible. It just strengthens my faith.” Oh, it was gorgeous.

But dear reader, I saw Christ among the clouds. No, not His face, but rather, His Grace.

You see, I am beginning to comprehend that concept which I have believed for many years but had not fully understood. A concept we may never fully understand this side of heaven, but which I do feel I understand better, now, than I did two weeks ago. Let me tell you what I saw in the clouds. As we went higher and higher I, being as I was, glued to the window, watched the towns get smaller and smaller below me. And at some point, they were covered over, entirely, by the fluffiest white clouds. The towns were still there. I know that because I know they exist. But in that moment, from my perspective, I looked upon Earth and no longer saw those towns, instead seeing only the snow-white clouds.

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And suddenly the love of Christ and the Power of His blood became clearer to me. See, God does not forget we have sinned, nor does He that believe we never sinned before. No, He knows our pasts, presents, and futures, as much as I knew that the land was still below me even when I could not see it. Yet, the Blood of Christ covers over us like the pure white clouds covered the land below. When God looks upon us, He sees Christ’s purity and radiance in the place of the uglingess of sin, clean in place of dirty, white in place of the blackness of our faults. And in that moment? Oh, my dear reader, we are His.

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Flying up into the clouds I only expected, at best, some turbulence or an earache. Instead, I received such peace for a weary heart - a reminder that Christ’s sacrifice has covered over me. A reminder that He is good. A reminder that it is well with my soul. Is it also well with yours?

Love,

Jessica