iCloud
What is “the Cloud?”
Most of us have things being stored in “the Cloud.” We have pictures and emails and documents that are being kept there. We’re able to watch Netflix and Hulu and Disney+ because of it. And today “the Cloud” touches almost every aspect of our lives in some way. But what is it? If you’re not a very technical person, hearing that your things are being stored in “the Cloud” might seem almost like magic. But “the Cloud” is just a cute term for the storage of materials remotely instead of locally. “The Cloud” is just a term for storing data remotely instead of locally. Back in the old days, like in the 1980’s and 90’s, if you didn’t have your data downloaded to your computer or stored on a floppy disc, it didn’t exist. Computer games, photos, and documents all had to be stored somewhere in your home. And you could almost forget about video. The amount of data it took to transmit video was enormous by today’s standards. But with advances made in communications and technology, we can now store and transmit all of that material to different places and from different places. We call that accumulation of material, “the Cloud.” “The Cloud” is sort of like The Force. As Obi-Wan Kenobi said, “It surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the galaxy together.”
The Bible talks about us being surrounded by a cloud, too.
And it too is all around us. This passage is part of the famous “faith” narrative in the letter to the Hebrew people living in Jerusalem. The writer of the letter gives many examples of what it means to live by faith sharing names the Hebrews would be familiar with. People like Abel and Noah and Abraham. People like Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. He talks about all the trials and tribulations they personally dealt with and the Israeli people dealt with – the crossing of the Red Sea, the walls of Jericho falling. And then the writer adds this…
39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 11:39-12:3)
We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.
Kind of intimidating actually. There are some places I don’t want a “great cloud of witnesses” to be watching. But that’s not what is meant here. It isn’t a bunch of ghosts watching our every move. It is the accumulated knowledge and experience of everyone who has gone before and paved the way ahead of us. Our faith in God is not some empty promise but built upon our forebearers in faith – both those we know and those we’ve never met or maybe even heard of. People like Deborah, Joseph, Gideon, and Ruth help us to understand God in a better way and to know who he is. Because of disciples like Peter, John, and Mary, we know the person of Christ and have come to trust in his promises. Our “cloud of witnesses” are all those people who have come before and whose stories form the foundation of our faith. As it says in John 20, “30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe[b] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” We tell the stories of those who have passed to give us strength and inspiration in tough times and to help us have confidence in what we believe.
But what really gives us hope is that first line.
“None of them received what had been promised.” Doesn’t SOUND hopeful so why does it bring hope? Sometimes we get stuck in an Old Testament “eye for an eye” mentality and it’s hard for us to look beyond that. Most of the world, whether they are religious or not often thinks this way, too. We expect tit for tat. When we do good, we expect good to come back to us. If we give money or time or energy into something, we expect others will do the same or return the favor in some way. But that doesn’t always happen, and when it doesn’t, because of our quid pro quo thinking, our faith and trust in the system weakens. The same is true with our faith and trust in Christ. When things don’t work out as expected, we become disappointed in God. We think somehow God has reneged on his end of the deal. But this passage reminds us that is not the case. “None of them received what had been promised” and yet…God had in mind something better. Even if they didn’t get the reward they expected, it’s only because God had something better planned. That “something better” may not always seem obvious to us because we see through a much different lens than God does. God can see the whole picture while we can only see our piece of it. But the writer of Hebrews here is trying to encourage us to keep our trust in God and shares this “cloud of witnesses” as testimony to God’s faithfulness so that we can remain strong, even in difficult times. So the writer of Hebrews encourages us to throw off our fears and trust in God. To continue to live a life of faith, to act and behave in a way that is consistent with a person who believes in the living Christ.
On All Saints’ Sunday we pay tribute to our own “cloud of witnesses.”
We honor and remember those who have since passed on who helped us to grow in our faith. We remember those who molded us and shaped us into the people we are. We honor loved ones we miss. Our definition of “saints” is probably different than what you traditionally imagine. It might even feel a bit uncomfortable to talk about our loved ones as saints. We often think of St. Patrick or St. Valentine or even St. Nicholas – specific people who have been honored by the Catholic Church for extraordinary service to God. People who are beyond reproach and most of us are far from that. But that type of “saint” is more like the Queen bestowing a knighthood upon one of her people. It’s a human title instead of a Heavenly one. For us, we believe that all Christians are saints. The word comes from the Greek hagios which means “consecrated to God, holy, sacred, pious.” So, to say we are saints doesn’t mean we are without flaws, or we deserve to be revered. That honor is reserved for God and God alone. It means we are set apart in service to God. When we talk about All Saints’ Day, it’s a way of honoring ALL those who have participated in the life of God’s Kingdom. Take a moment today to reflect and pray for those who have made an impact in YOUR faith journey and may we live up to that legacy.
Craig's Corner 