The Healthy Spiritual Journey • July 2025 – Our Great Cloud of Witnesses

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…” – Hebrews 12:1a

Most every morning, as I awaken, I greet my great cloud of witnesses. This is a time of meditation in which I silently call their names, realizing that I have forgotten (or do not even know) the names of many more. We all have clouds of witnesses, people who were on earth and left footprints for us to follow, but have preceded us into the life ever after. They are faithful, spiritual witnesses who accompany us on our journey. Their legacy helps to inform our actions. Similarly, our actions will be part of the legacy we leave behind, footprints on the sand of time, for future generations. This time of quiet reflection, combined with morning prayers, provides purpose, meaning, and direction at the start of my day.

We are not alone during our healthy spiritual journey on planet earth. Every step we take is shared by God and by the great cloud of witnesses who came before us. It is empowering when we sense the threads of past lives, which are sometimes ancient, woven into the fabric of our own lives. This cloud is not distant. It is made up of real people – relatives, mentors, friends, strangers, historical figures, saints, and prophets – whose lives have helped to create our present life experiences.

The abundance of blessings that surround me is there because of those witnesses who shared a collective set of gifts including courage, compassion, conviction, and faith. They left footprints on the sands of time that I am able to follow. Those footprints were quiet acts of kindness, lives lived with integrity, and choices infused with faith, hope, and love. Many of us have our own cloud of witnesses who shared a faith grounded in prayer and worship. They shared an unwavering hope for a brighter future, for people to “get-along”, and to have peace over all the earth if given a chance. They shared a rich set of love definitions, which includes love of self, family, neighbor, and God.

For me, the great cloud of witnesses are not spectators nor are they judges. They are more like companions on the journey, cheering us on with every memory, every lesson, every example they left behind. Perhaps they would be pleased if we used their legacy of gifts to help make the world better than we found it – socially, physically, and spiritually – an affirmation of their presence. Socially, one of the purposes of life is to find joy and contentment; but we cannot find it for ourselves unless we help others do the same. Physically, our good earth could be helped by planting trees, attending to air and water quality, and giving environmentalists a boost. Spiritually, we look to a higher power whom many of us call God. Following God’s guidance, passed down through the ages, we are provided with a moral compass to guide our decision-making and direct our journey. With that guidance, we know how to help our neighbors feel less alone and more loved. With that guidance, we will travel through the universe on our way to the eternal life ever after which God has prepared for us. There, we will join our great cloud of witnesses. Oh what a happy union, and reunion, that will be. Alleluia! Amen! 

In God’s love, 

Lanny F. Wilson, MD 

“Lives of great men [and women] all remind us / We can make our lives sublime, / And, departing, leave behind us / Footprints on the sands of time.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (In “A Psalm of Life”)