The Bible
It’s not uncommon to have dense fog settle like a blanket across the Waikato. Due to low-lying damp areas and river valleys surrounding the Waikato River, we’re known as one of the ‘foggiest’ areas in New Zealand.
Murray Smith
Fog is basically a cloud forming at ground level as microscopic water droplets become suspended in the air when the earth cools down. When air cools to a point where it can’t hold water vapour, that vapour condenses into cloud droplets, which we see as fog.
I’ve had close ‘encounters’ navigating foggy Waikato roads. One night driving home to Cambridge, visibility was down to 15 metres. I drove carefully respecting the conditions, straining to follow the road’s features. A large nondescript shape suddenly loomed out of the gloom. I hit the brakes and inched forward. The ‘shape’ revealed itself to be a big black cow standing indifferently in the middle of the road. She eyed me casually, reluctant to move. I got out and tried to ‘encourage’ her over to the side. Lights of a nearby farmhouse dimly glowed through the mist. I made my way there and the occupants took over.
Fog certainly impacted things for young Florence Chadwick. Having been the first woman to swim the English Channel both ways, she entered the waters from Catalina Island to swim 35 kilometres to the coast of California. Her support crew gave encouragement from small boats. The water was cold, the currents were difficult and it was disconcerting having to keep sharks at bay with a rifle.
Then fog settled in. Exhausted after 16 hours, Florence begged to be pulled on board. Florence’s mother urged her to press on since she was so close. From Florence’s perspective, with the terribly daunting fog, it was over…disappointingly, she was scarcely a kilometre from shore.
Later she told a reporter “I’m not making excuses but feel I could have made it if I could just have seen the land….”
‘Fog’ metaphorically describes what the Bible refers to as ‘the veil over all nations’ (Isaiah 25:7-8). This ‘shroud’ over the world is a reality evidenced today by manifold evil agendas and spiritual darkness ‘blanketing’ our troubled planet earth. Mists of distorted ideas and deceptive theories have obscured truth, destroying values resulting in multitudes losing their way. It’s popular these days to refer to ‘my truth’ while objective truth, relevant for everyone, is rejected. The fog shrouding Florence distorted her perspective. In a spiritual sense we too cannot see properly due to flawed, limited perception…only God can lift the veil off us, restoring true perspective.
The Bible states, “Your life is like the morning fog – it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.”(James 4:14). This graphic description of our fleeting earthly life being temporary and unpredictable like mist or vapour is apt…not knowing what tomorrow holds, makes knowing the one who holds tomorrow, imperative. Fully entrusting our lives to God, we find lasting clarity, purpose and unshakeable hope and peace.
