White As Snow

It is snowing on The Portico this morning. It actually started last night about midnight. The schools are out and it is a beautiful day out there in South Charlotte.

A good snow day can feel like Christmas morning. The best ones come late in the evening. We go to bed sort of half-believing that the weatherman has a clue and then wake to the surprise and joy of a winter wonderland. Of course, the gift is especially welcomed by the students and teachers who get the day off. But it is also shared by anyone with eyes and heart open enough to behold something truly beautiful. We see the kids playing in the snow and we are reminded of our own childhood. We are also reminded that best things in life sometimes just sort of fall on us .

The whiteness of snow is compelling. Of course, it doesn't take long for the salt and dirt and left over leaves to cloud it up. But when the snow first falls to the ground, especially with very little wind as it did this morning, there is an undeniable freshness about it. This is the stuff of so many poems and Christmas stories, the symbol of purity and innocence.

There are six specific references to "white as snow" in the Bible. Curiously, three of these deal with the holiness of God and three of them refer to the condition of the skin after one has been cleansed of leprosy. In this way, the purity of snow is symbolic of goodness and health. This is also consistent with our Christian understanding of forgiveness.

Come now, let us argue it out, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be like snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool. (Is. 1:18)

Isaiah's reference rings true to our longing for health and newness. We pray for a fresh start, for a purity of spirit and life.

Perhaps there is a similar hope-- a similar prayer--pervading our land today. It is foolhardy to imagine that a mere change in leadership will bring health and healing to the land. But the event does seem to serve as an opportunity for a new start. The leader is not the healer but perhaps a catalyst moving us to accept the responsibility for days gone by and inspiring hope for days to come.

God is the true healer. The Lord looks with mercy on those who repent and seek mercy. The storehouses of grace are like great barns of snow. They wait for the hour when hearts are humbled and spirits are longing. Then grace falls down upon us with the joy and beauty of a morning surprise.