Snow: the great equalizer

 

All week long the television newspeople had been informing us that at 7 am on Thursday the storm would cover Nashville with 1-3" of pure white snow. As a result, on Wednesday most schools had already closed for the rest of the week. 

Overnight into Friday the thermometer was scheduled to drop to 11 degrees Fahrenheit (-11 all over the rest of the world). And later on Saturday the freezing point would be in our rear-view mirror and we could see the snow melting all over the neighbourhood. But for now, the snow was hushing the sounds of cars. The bus did not pass in the front. Few walked over to the restaurants on the corner. The streets and footpaths were silent. Everywhere the city was stalled.  Fog rolled in and visibility in the air for the airplanes and on the ground for drivers caused everyone to continue more gingerly.

We watched the television to confirm that the meteorologists were right, the highways were indeed treacherous, and all the schools were seriously shut. The scenes were the same in East Nashville, in Dickson, down in Murfreesboro and the entire Middle Tennessee area. Nowhere had escaped the 3-8" that actually fell, and everywhere was calm. 

Accidents lined the highways; rescues happened with First Responders arriving and sorting out the problems. Triage led to solutions and the world was good again.

Snow: the great equaliser.

Just about 13 days ago (I know that because yesterday was Epiphany= Twelfth Day/Night) Christmas songs and carols were finishing their months-long tirade. Included in those concerts were "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" by which the author meant it looked like this photo from last night. Irving Berlin, a Jewish man, wrote "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas" and 13 other songs for "Holiday Inn" When I was a kid, Christmas movies included stories in black and white with Bing Crosby like the Bells of St Mary, White Christmas, the aforementioned Holiday Inn and no doubt others. They were all lovely and full of song and heartfelt pleasures. Oh, there was "It's a wonderful life" with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. "Miracle on 34th Street" which introduced me to NYC long before we moved there in 1980.

It's strange that in my lifetime Christmas movies have morphed into endless comedic and slapstick entries like "Elf" and "Home Alone" (any of the 1, 2, or 3) and "National Lampoon..." Even though Santa was seriously featured in the earlier black and whites, and silliness and 'family' is magnified in the latest entries, none of them talk deeply about the real story. That is, if you have heard the story, whether it actually took place in December or not. 

I'm not fussed about Christmas being the story of the birth of Jesus. It could be the merging of pagan holidays with Christianity hundreds of years ago. That's fine; that's the "film industry" of a millennium ago. The issue for me is that the birth of Jesus actually did take place. December, June, September-- any of those is fine with me.  And then even more important, what was the reason for that birth?

I believe it's the great equaliser of its day. Not that we all agree -- yet-- about the system it exposes.

The Bible teaches us that we are equally in trouble ("All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned each of us to his own way") Sin has levelled each of us into a category of neediness.  Fascinating since the Bible also demonstrates that we are all loved equally by the Almighty. "For God so loved the world!..." and "the Lord your God loves you." This produces a conundrum in that the Holy God loves us and yet we are sinful and thus prevented from being in his presence. 

How can we solve that? If it were up to us, we would create some religion to make our way back to the Lord. Oh, wait, we've done that. If it were up to God, then he would solve it another way. And thus he sent his Son to the world, and had him born on what we call "Christmas." In other languages, Noel or Navidad or Natale (birth!) The story is not about a fat gift-giver named Nicolas; it's not about trees all a-glitter. The story is one of RESCUE.

The world and my world particularly was needy, lost without hope, caught in a fog of inability. We couldn't find our way to the Lord and he did all he had to do to make access ours. That is awesome. 

No one is outside his love; no one is unable to get to him. He is the Great Equaliser. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son so that WHOEVER believes in HIM should not perish, but have eternal life." 

That includes you! That includes your neighbour. That includes me. We are all able to access the love of God and the forgiveness that he extends. Not only on Epiphany or Christmas, but today. And each day. 

Won't you receive his good love just now?

In like a lion

When an American child learns about climate and weather, about seasons and especially springtime, the sing-song assistant for this month is, "March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb."

Of course, the reference is to the end of winter (the lion) and the gentleness of spring (lamb). If only. I remember the first official day of Spring in 2010, in Kansas I was traveling and was scheduled to play golf at a course near Arkansas City. This was the photo I took that day.

Needless to say (and yet I say it), my friends Josh and Dan and I didn't play that day. The roads were so treacherous, we didn't even meet up as we should have.  I guess the lion still roared for 21 extra days in 2010.

Comparing lion and lamb is a biblical theme as well. Isaiah the prophet uses them in the same sentence twice, but not like you might have heard. There is no text about a lion lying down with the lamb. Here's what many are quoting

"And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;  and a little boy will lead them."(Chapter 11. verse 6)

and "The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,” says the Lord.   (Chapter 65. Verse 25)

The world of Isaiah had more wandering animals; today we only have such animals in the zoo or the outback. Still the plan is to work to make the world a better place, today, such that enemies like wolves and lambs can lie together. Maybe Russians and Ukrainians. Maybe Labor and Liberal. Maybe. Which is the lion and which the lamb? 

Lions tear things up, like the end of winter. Lambs rest and gently bump into each other. Ah, springtime. 

But of course, for us in Australia, this is the end of summer and autumn is upon us. Do we have a lion/ lamb sing-song in use? 

I found this song with lyrics displayed (not captioned) on Leeland's official site.  [ https://youtu.be/C9ujBoud26k ]   I love the sentiment, the lyrics, the One about whom this man is singing. Maybe you will enjoy it and learn as well.

I hope your spring or autumn is restful and calm, and focused on the Messiah, the Lamb who was slain for the sins of the world. And the Lion of the Tribe of Judah-- that's another nickname of Messiah Yeshua. He will come again to rule and make His ways known on the earth. Then even Labor and Liberal will get along, because we will all get along with Him. That's where unity happens. That's where life happens.

Happy March!