Recently I was attracted to this picture, which was in colour but works just as well in black and white. Immediately the symbolism of the picture hit me and I saw that it would be something to share with you. I would like to try and get you thinking about it and asking you some questions.
First though have a long look at this picture before you read on. Take time to ponder it.
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With grateful thanks to Bruce Stanley for this picture. Forest Church – Somewhere in Mid Wales!
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Is it just a beautiful scene?
Or is it something else?
What do you see?
Maybe you don’t see anything in it all!
Does it remind you of anything?
Do you think anything could live in a place like this? If so what?
Let’s break it down into parts. What is the foreground made up of? Define it.
Do you think this is a natural or man-made feature? Then look further into the picture what part comes next?
Think about some questions you could ask of the scene and see what you come up with.
When I saw this picture straight away I could see that it was a cave and that it was raining outside the cave. Inside the cave it’s dark but as you look through the cave to the outside it’s light.
Sometimes we miss the obvious because we’re in a cave of darkness. The slope of the cave is quite eye-catching and even though I don’t know quite where it is I can see that it’s made up of rock, very probably slate. The rock is very angular. Looking forward to the far hill or mountainside it looks more rounded and smooth.
In the middle distance is a small – what I initially thought was a cairn but on a second, more thorough look, see that it is part of the surrounding rock but has been less eroded by the weather, probably due to its harder nature. This cairn made me think of memorials. In the Old Testament memorials are often mentioned and are in places by people to remind them of a significant event that took place, usually something that reminded them of what God had done.
Thirdly there is the mountain rain which isn’t so clear in the black and white but is there all the same. The rain which drifts across and causes the surfaces to glisten.
It wasn’t until another look – at another time did I realise that there is also a valley that blends into the mountain.
The contrast between darkness and light is very apparent as I mentioned earlier. The person who took this was sheltering from the rain as out on the mountains it can be a life threatening situation to be in if you’re in it for a long period.
So this cave is a place of shelter and put me in mind of what happened to Moses and in trying to find that in the Bible I came across ‘O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places of the mountain crags, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely…”’ Song of Sol 2:14. Is this the cry of your heart?
Recently I read a good way to connect with God which fitted with one of David Bracewell’s recent sermons on the still centre, that is, to be intentional, expectant and intimate with God in a watchful state. Ex 33:7-23 is the passage that the cave reminded me of, in particular verse 22 ‘“When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and will cover you with my hand while I pass by…”’
The cave in the picture represents that to me – the place of safety, but with a spectacular view. This is how we can live. In a place of safety with a spectacular view of the glory of God. He comes with the rain to water the valleys – it is not always obvious how God comes – how he breathes over the land but we can see signs of his work. The memorial in the picture reminds us of what he has done. We keep our eyes on that mountain in the distance – this is our vision.
You may have got some different things from the picture too. Maybe do a study on the features in the picture and let God speak to you through that.