Peace, Joy and...Snow

A Y Jackson

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
    and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

 For you shall go out in joy,
    and be led back in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
    shall burst into song,
    and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
    instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial,
    for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

 

Isaiah 55: 10-13(NRSV) 

The forecast calls for two to four centimetres of snow for Christmas Eve day -- not even two inches -- but I will be mollified if it actually happens. We had a significant snowfall in November and that raised my hopes for true Winter activity but all that is long gone. There is plenty of scientific evidence for climate change but the grey, snowless pre-Christmas reality of Southern Ontario is a dreary statement about the new normal.

When we were at the McMichael Gallery in Kleinburg recently there was a delightful display of Winter scenes by Canadian artists in an entrance gallery, including works by A Y Jackson of the Group of Seven. I've mentioned before that I'm ancient enough to have met Jackson as a boy. He was living with the McMichael's at that time and would sit in a cozy corner as visitors passed by. Jackson was a master at capturing the essence of Winter as he tramped about Quebec, often on snowshoes (his are pictured here.) He was fondly known as Pere Raquette (Father Shoeshoe.)


There isn't a lot of snow in the bible, for obvious reasons, but it is mentioned several times and readers must have known what it was. Jerusalem get the occasional dusting, which quickly disappears. It is usually a metaphor for purity and washing away sin. I like this reference from Isaiah where it represents God's replenishing promise, as well as both joy and peace which are key aspects of the Advent season.

I suppose that my Christmas gift wish that the human race is sane enough to address climate change so that we will always enjoy a fresh fall of snow in these parts. I also accept chocolate.



A Y Jackson