A Walk in the Clouds

This week at the Africa Mission Co-Workers’ Gathering in Cape Town South Africa, we have had as our theme “Walking with Jesus.” This theme has been explored in our spiritual lives, in the areas of our responsibilities, in relationship with the partner churches with whom we work and in the logistics of our positions with PCUSA headquarters in Louisville. We have discussed, analyzed, and envisioned, but on Sunday we experienced walking with Jesus in a new way.

The group took part of the day to do some sightseeing after worship, since we are in such a scenic location. There were several options. Many of us chose to ride a cable car to the top of Table Mountain, a sharp incline of about 8,000 feet up the side of the mountain. The car is one of only 3 in the world with a revolving floor that slowly spins as the car ascends, enabling the riders to have a panoramic view, somewhat akin to the surround cinema ride at Disneyland, only the rider is moving, not the scenery. As the cable car ascended, the site of Cape Town, the harbor, and the mountains in the vicinity was magnificent. But as we neared the top, the scenery began to fade into a white haze. Clouds were descending on the mountain. By the time we stepped out of the cable car, we were in the clouds. In the past, folks have accused me of having my head in the clouds. Yesterday they were right - my head, my entire body, was in the clouds. I walked in the clouds.



Descending from the clouds

The experience was rather surreal. There is a stone wall along the edge of the pathway that leads around the top of the mountain and there are some interior paths to follow as well. As I stood at the wall and looked out into the clouds, the wind began to blow. The clouds were blown away a bit, revealing a veiled view of the town below, for a few moments. Then the wind brought in the next wave of clouds and the view was once again obscured. This ebb and flow of clouds continued for about 15 minutes, giving glimpses and then taking them away. Finally the clouds settled and my friends and I were left to walk in the clouds for the rest of the hike. We could see the rocks and vegetation that were directly in front of us, but anything more than 6 feet beyond us was enveloped in the mist. As we walked, I reflected that maybe this was a life image of walking by faith, being able to see only a short distance in front of us, unable to see too far ahead of where you are going, trusting God for the unseen.

 The wind was cold and damp, so a shorter walk seemed in order. We comforted ourselves in the Mountain Top café with the warmth of the indoors and of hot chocolate until it was time to take the cable car back down. As the car descended, Cape Town slowly emerged and we were back to the real world, back to the world that walks by sight and not by faith.