Last night, the temperature dove from one to seventeen degrees below zero. The wind howled and turned tree branches into a percussion ensemble. This morning’s sun revealed in the snow a still life of what is never still: the breaking of an incoming wave. A wind-sketched ocean has taken up temporary residence in this Vermont valley. How vast is nature’s power to create through severe weather the same pattern in two places that will never meet.
I wonder if it is just such power that drives us to create such patterns. How vast is the power of the Spirit moving through our lives that we sketch its pattern in words and images. What is scripture, liturgy, architecture, and music if not our best attempts of giving future generations a glimpse of the pattern God has impressed on our holy lives?
Here too in Plymouth yesterday and all over this area, very extremely cold weather -3 degrees with even colder wind chill factors we haven’t had yet this winter.
A friend who lives in Barnet Vt shared a photo of a polar vortex, taken by a very brave yet appropriately dressed photographer from Burlington Vt. It was quite unusual and beautiful to see this powerful occurrence of nature’s weather. Not so gentle in a way.
(My preference would be to view the Northern Lights instead.)
Your photo of waves from the snow covered ground with shadows of trees has a gentle feeling.
Thanks, Robin. I think things are a lot gentler the morning after the strong winds – just cold temps and beautiful patterns in the snow. Peace, Johnna