By bro Cornelius Lee
The sky declares the glory and handiwork of God. (Psa 19:1) We, humankind, are not only his creation, but we also live in a world that He created. After learning the origins of the sky and how it is God who created this world, I would like to share some thoughts I had when I was admiring the sky.
The Meaning of a Blue Sky
There is something special about the colour blue for the sky. There seems to be a calmness and peace when there is a blue sky. The colour blue usually symbolizes serenity or stability. Think about a time when the sky was not blue in the day, when the sky was dark or grey. On days that the sky is dark and the clouds are grey, it usually tells us that there is a storm coming. Another example is the haze period: if you just google images of the word “haze”, you will be presented with a grey-coloured skyline with no clear blue skies. When the sky is not blue in the day, it means that the weather is not stable, be it a haze or thunderstorm.
In the account of Jesus calming the storm in Matthew 8:23-27, you can imagine the situation that the disciples were in, being on a ship, dark clouds in the sky, and heavy rain pelting on their bodies, while all were in panic except for one who was asleep. Jesus, the son of God, was asleep as his disciples were in a panicked state. His disciples woke him up and begged him to save them. All He did was to reply to them, “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?”, and after saying this, he calmed the storm. Now, imagine you are on the same boat and you witness this miracle, the change from dark clouds and heavy winds to, probably, clear blue skies and a calm breeze, from chaos to peace. You would be in awe and marvel at the power that Jesus has.
In life, there are times where we are caught up in storms in our life, where the present looks dark and cloudy. You may feel lost or even afraid that you may sink, but there is no need to worry, just take a step back and look at the azure blue sky. A blue sky not only helps you to feel at peace but also proves the existence of God, a God that loves his creation and is the God of peace. In Philippians 4:6-7, it states, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” The skies remind us that there is a God and as Christians, we have the privilege to go to God in prayer and to ask for help to calm the storms in our life.
Under The Same Sky
Recently, I have been observing the sky from different locations. Seeing the clear blue sky from the camp of Tekong island, the starry night sky from the Tekong jungle, the Singapore skyline from the mainland, and the raining sky from the mainland jungle, and recalling the breathtaking sky I saw when I was in Japan made me realise that they are all the same sky. We are all under the same sky, no matter where you are in the world.
In the story of Jonah, we read about how Jonah tried to run away from preaching to the city of Nineveh by taking a ship to Tarshish. While on the ship, God sent a “mighty tempest in the sea” (Jonah 1:4) after Jonah. Jonah tried to run away from God. He thought he was able to run away from the presence of God, to flee from his responsibilities to teach at Nineveh but the LORD God is omnipresent. Jonah was still under the same sky that God created, that God has control of, and He sent a tempest to disrupt Jonah’s attempt to flee.
No matter where we are in the world, be it in the comfort of civilization, or the discomfort of one of Singapore’s jungles, or even if you are overseas, there is the blue sky, and with it He is present. God is there, God is present and with Him by our side, what do we need to be afraid of?
Concluding Thoughts
We must remember that no matter where we are, no matter how dire our situations are, there is a God of peace and He is alive. This is an important fundamental part of our Christian faith that we must not forget. We do not want to be rebuked like how Jesus had rebuked his disciples in the storm with “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?”. So, why is the sky blue? Well, I believe that the two points presented have made it clear: it is the same sky everywhere that serves as a reminder to us when we are faced with the stormy waves of life. There is, beyond the azure blue skies, a God of peace who will be able to help you find and create clear blue peaceful skies.