~ Finding God in the Snow ~
“God gives snow like wool; God scatters frost like ashes.
God hurls down hail like crumbs—who can stand before God’s cold?”
~Psalm 147:16-17
Dear Members and Friends,
Who knew there were references to snow and cold weather in the Bible? Apparently, Mt. Hermon (where the Transfiguration may have occurred) has a modern ski resort at its summit. At the time of this writing, it’s snowy and cold in Pittsburgh. I must admit that I have truly loved the return to real winter that we’ve been experiencing since just after Christmas. Our winters in recent years have felt like long, gray Novembers. But give me snow and bracing temperatures, and I might start to like winter again—even February, which can feel so hopelessly far from Yuletide festivities and still so far from spring.
I’ve just finished reading a New York Times bestseller called Wintering, by an English author named Katherine May. It’s a beautiful, reflective, self-disclosing little book that helps its readers to notice the beauty of cold times—both on the calendar and in the heart. For example, you’re probably aware of the recent trend toward cold showers and cold-water baths? At first, I believed that this new interest in cold water was just another way for athletic types to prove how tough they are. “Look at me! I’m getting in cold water! I’m so tough it doesn’t even bother me!” But there actually are benefits to immersing yourself in the cold. Scientists are finding that cold-water immersion therapy not only reduces inflammation and relieves pain, but it also improves a person’s immune system, circulation, metabolism, and even cognitive function. A cold-water plunge can improve your mood. And some scientific findings are beginning to suggest that daily cold-water baths can help to treat depression, which might be due in large part to swelling in the brain. (The key here is that it can “help,” not act as a stand-alone treatment!)
Winter is a time to settle in with the darkness of short days and the shelter of smaller spaces. It’s a time to share close quarters with the ones we love, taking stock of our relationships, our thoughts, our feelings, and our hopes. My point? All seasons have their beauty, both on the calendar and in the heart. It is God’s plan for the year and for every human life. Even the cold can bring its unseen gifts. The dark might contain beauties that require patience and faith to discover. Whatever season you are in today, don’t hurry through it. It, too, might contain something beautiful, something worthwhile. Linger. Look around. Accept it not just as a liminal space to be endured, but a gift and a place to be for now. I’m glad to be sharing this season with you.
Christ’s Peace,
~Brian
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