Dissipating Clouds
Clouds Are Not Of Our Making and Beyond Our Control
by Eric Elkin
Two of my college roommates took a class with a psychology professor named, Dr. James Ulness. I never knew anything about the man except what words of praise and wonder these two friends poured out upon him. This morning reading about clouds reminded me of my roommates and the wonder Dr. Ulness placed into their hearts.
I searched the internet to see whatever became of Dr. Ulness and found a handful of articles and a YouTube video. In reading one of the interviews, Dr. Ulness called his form of teaching spiritual psychology.
One of the powers my two roommates claimed to have discovered from Dr. Ulness was the power to dissipate clouds. They would come home from class spiritually renewed and head out to our deck. Then they would sit in chairs, point to a cloud, and proceed to focus all attention on it. As they focused on the cloud, it would dissipate or disappear, into thin air.
There were four of us living together. So, the two of us who did not take the class became observers, skeptics, and judges of their ability to dissipate clouds. My fellow judge became a believer, or at least, he fed their skills with words of praise. I, on the other hand, remained a skeptic.
Clouds are formed and disappear due to atmospheric conditions. Changing dew points, surface temperatures and conditions in the homosphere cause clouds to dissipate, not the human mind. I was shunned as a non-believer by my mystic roommates. My reaction was probably the same as I would receive from some scientists if I suggested God formed clouds
The undeniable truth is, clouds speak to the uniqueness of the planet earth in our solar system. Our cloud formations need water, a type of water only found on this planet. Other planets have water just not in liquid form. The water which forms these clouds is held on this planet by a boundary. Due to gravitational pull, it cannot escape and leave us waterless.
In the ancient world, the psalmist thinks God makes the clouds and rides on the wings of the wind. In the modern world, I would say that description is not too far off. Clouds proclaim a creation we were not present for, nor can we control. Yet, this creation with its oxygen and water is necessary for life. It sustains us whether we focus on it or not.
The human heart is easily captured by the beauty and majesty of cloud formations. We seek to capture the movements of clouds with our cameras. Yet, very few pictures ever communicate the glory of the live event. I think it would do us well to remember, even trying to capture the power of God in a picture remains elusive to us. But that very same power sustains our life.
Click to read: Psalm 104: 1-9
Reflection Questions:
What natural event communicates the power of God to you?
How does this inform your understanding of God?
What might skeptics say of your opinion?
When have you tried to capture the power of God and failed?
How does this failure renew your faith?