On the rare occasions that I fly on an aircraft, I like to sit by the window and look out of it onto the land and sea below.

As we flew back from Spain last week, and approached the English Coast over Devon, the view of the ground was suddenly obscured by a covering of cloud.

I felt a tad disappointed because I wanted to see the coast and the rolling hills of Devon and South Wales, and so after a short while I decided to read my book.

As preparations were made inside the cabin to begin our descent, my eyes were drawn to the thick white cloud  below, a cotton wool landscape of pristine whiteness below me as far as the eye could see.

Above the clouds there was a beautiful clear blue and green sky which was deep and rich and endless.

Is this heaven?

Is this the firmament?

I wonder!

In recent years, I have strongly questioned a notion of the after-life.

However, I haven’t quite come out against the concept of an after-life, because I think that to emphatically state that either there is, or there is not an after-life, is to deny even the possibility of it’s existence.

I think that being less emphatic in respect of matters of faith has been a good development within me.

This is because the uncertainty and the questioning has allowed me to find some space to wonder, to question, to recognise my faith as being something precious, something delicate, something I don’t want to lose.

Above the clouds, my soul caught a glimpse of heaven, like it might have done at the top of a high mountain; or in an act of worship; or some inspired oratory or writing;  or in the face of a loved one.

Above the clouds, I had this sense of awe and wonder, this prodding of the spirit, this release of tension, which if it wasn’t heaven, in those few moments it certainly felt like it could have been.

My next blog will be: Masajes

William Defoe