Just for fun, I wondered about the scriptural references to snow. Many of them have to do with the “colour” of snow… “white as snow.”
When Jesus appeared to his disciples, “His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.” (Matt 28:3)
Another reference is often made to those whose skin turned as white as snow with leprosy, (Numbers 12:10) “When the cloud went away from over the tent, Miriam had become leprous, as white as snow.”
As for the white fluffy stuff, the Psalmest writes, “When the Almighty scattered kings there, snow fell on Zalmon.” (Psalm 68:14).
I suppose that snow reminds us both of purity through its brightness, as well as the realities of the earth’s seasons — as she sheds her leaves and sleeps while the cold snow covers the land.
This is a season of the church’s year called “lent” — a time that lasts 40 days and commemorates Jesus’ time in the “wilderness.” This is a time to snuggle down to consider how it is that we are called to be the brightness and purity of living God’s will and at the same time to reflect on the ways in which we have neglected to be God’s light in the world and have harmed both the earth and God’s people.
It’s more than just saying, “I’ll pray about it!” Lent is a time to reflect and then act — to fulfill God’s love of the earth and all God’s children. Or as one famous company says, “Just Do It.”
