The past couple of days have been cold. I did my time in Minnesota, where the high in December is rarely above freezing, and the low temperatures dip to below 0 F often. But I have acclimated myself to the northern Virginia winter, and it is rarely below freezing. Now I look forward to the warmer temperatures (50s on Friday), even as Christmas approaches. While some want snow on Christmas and a winter wonderland, I’m satisfied with the snow we already have had.
Though many want a white Christmas, did you know that some scholars think that the birth of Jesus occurred in the spring? Biblical details, such as shepherds keeping watch over their flocks at night, which imply warmer, non-winter weather (Luke 2:8), indicate a spring birth. The timing of Zechariah's priestly duties in the temple (Luke 1:5-23) and Jesus being born six months after John the Baptist place the birth around March or April. A Roman census in winter would have been difficult due to travel conditions, so it was likely held in spring. This December date was likely chosen to coincide with pagan winter solstice festivals rather than to reflect the actual date.
I like the thought that the birth of Jesus was in the spring: renewal, redemption, and hope for the future. In C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Lucy, when she enters Narnia, learns that it is "Always winter, but never Christmas." There is a state of perpetual coldness and oppression (winter) without the joy, hope, and redemption (Christmas). This weather condition symbolizes the world's fallen state under the rule of evil (the White Witch) and the need to wait for a savior (Aslan). It speaks to the hope for spring and restoration, which will eventually arrive, and the ice will melt away.
One of the reasons I enjoy skiing, though I have not gone in many years, is the feeling of relief and warmth after a full day on the slopes. As I sit by the fire, feeling my toes come back to life and warming my hands with a cup of hot chocolate, I experience the anticipated transition from the cold to the comfort of warmth. God’s love can similarly permeate our hearts, transforming our coldness into warmth. Just as the fire defrosts and invigorates, God’s love encourages us to extend warmth and compassion to those we find difficult to relate to. Another illustration is ‘how do you get the ice and snow off a cabin in the woods?’ Do you chip away at it on the outside, starting on the roof, or do you enter, break through the front door, build a fire, and let it all melt away?
Advent is a time of longing for beginnings, much like the buds that signal the coming spring. Spring arrives and renewal when Christ enters as a baby, but it is realized when he enters our hearts. He warms our hearts with his grace and love. Engaging in prayer allows us to open our hearts and commune with Him, seeking strength and guidance. The practice of forgiving others models the forgiveness we have received from Christ. As we receive and apply the message of His love in our daily lives, we melt away the winter within us.
