winter solitude

The crunch of snow beneath my shoes and the spattering of frozen rain were the only sounds I hear as I walked through the wooded area near campus. Even the normally ever-present wildlife were strangely absent; probably in some hole are shelter attempting to keep warm and dry. Amidst the inclement weather, I walked through my area of the winter wonderland that is louisville, kentucky tonight.

Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright. Round yon virgin, mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace.

Those lyrics hold an interesting meeting after walking in the woods through the snow when there is nothing else around except for the wind. There is quietness; almost silence. Aside from the falling precipitation, everything seems calm. Everything is asleep. It reminds me of Narnia in Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In it, the two sons of Adam and the two daughter's of Eve go through the wardrobe to enter into a fantastical land called Narnia. Only Narnia is covered in snow and ruled by a ruthless, cruel witch, Jadis. The land is dead, awaiting the new life that Aslan will bring.

Two thousand years ago, the world was in its own winter solitude. It was dead and asleep, longing for the day of redemption. All of creation was groaning, crying out for deliverance from sin, death and suffering. Imagine the night when the Savior was born and what all of creation thought. Did they realize what would happen in less than thirty-five years? Did they know Who had just been born? Did any part of creation realize the miracle that had just happened? Do we?

Let this time of year be a reflection on our own winter solitude. Walk in the cold, the snow if possible. Think about where you were before Christ and what He did for you. Think about where you would be without the incredible grace of God that was shown to the world that first Christmas day. Finally, let us thank God for the miracle of new life that occurred. Let us be thankful that Christmas is just the beginning of life and that the end of life will never be seen for those who are called the sons and daughters of God.

Don't be afraid to be in solitude. Just remember, because of Christ and His birth, we are never alone...even in our winter solitudes. Because of what Christ has done in our lives, we are able to sleep and live in a heavenly peace that we ourselves are unable to fully explain. Let today be a time of remembrance and celebration that we are no longer alone, no longer dead, no longer at war the with God of the universe. Let today be a day of peace for you. Amidst the hustle and bustle of shopping, let us rest in God. We need to relax in His loving embrace and allow His Spirit to remind us of Christ and Christmas.