Embracing the Winter
Learning from Nature
As Pennsylvania endures winter, it is an opportunity to see a metaphor for the spiritual life.
The trees and plants that once bloomed in the summer began to change in the fall, and now, in the winter, they are desolate. The woods are simply barren, stripped of what was.
We know what will happen with nature: spring will awaken after January, February, and part of March. Nature's cycle will change from barren to blooming, and it will happen again next year and the years after.
Many of us look forward to spring and summer; however, we cannot overlook the gift of the metaphor wintertime provides us.
Wintertime displays a time of purification. It is as if nature purifies itself. There is a stripping away, a shedding of leaves, fruits, and flowers. In the spiritual life, it is helpful to do the same: purify, strip away things, and fast.
Wintertime models sacrifice amidst hardship. Nature has a tough time in the winter. It’s cold, windy, and challenging. So, it is in the spiritual life. However, there is a strengthening that occurs amidst the hardship. We also learn through the wintertime that hardships are not forever. They are temporary, and there is a spring that follows. In the spiritual life, there is springtime, and it is forever in Heaven.
Wintertime reminds us of silence and reflection. The woods simply go quiet. The mountainsides lack the buzz of nature’s springtime vibrancy. In the spiritual life, this time of silence and reflection is essential because it allows an opportunity to hear God more clearly. In our culture, which is very loud, we could benefit from silence and contemplation.
Wintertime is also a time of preparation for new life. Underneath the snow, frost, and ice, seeds germinate, and roots grip the earth. With or without our awareness, springtime is in motion, even if it doesn’t feel like it to us. The same can occur in the spiritual life: there are times when new life, a springtime of spirituality, is in motion even if we do not recognize it.
Winter reminds us that we need hope. Springtime will come. In the spiritual life, amidst the difficulties and challenges of our day, there will be a day when Jesus returns.
We must remember that both nature and the spiritual life have seasons. Instead of wishing away the winters (both natural and spiritual), we should let these winters help us prepare for springtime.
Fr. Luke Daghir
Even the air is different in winter. It has a crispness to it. It is fresh. Sometimes I like to turn the furnace down a bit and open my doors and windows and let in winter air to cleanse the indoor air.
Beautiful! There is nothing more peaceful than a walk in the woods in the dead of winter - beautiful silence!