“Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,
At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,
And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.” The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, C S Lewis

I can’t help but think of Narnia when winter arrives here. This morning it was as if the White Witch had visited overnight and frozen the world around us. Beautiful, but brutally cold. It’s like living in a Hallmark card. The white stuff is here early though, it’s not meant to stay on the ground until Christmas. We’re not ready for this. The winter stretches ahead of us – all five months of it. Long, cold winter. The struggle is real. The panic of suddenly being in winter’s grip. The desire for a roaring fire, a warm blanket, a book or a movie, warmth and comfort, can overwhelm all others. Someone go and fetch Aslan!

Yet for today, I embraced the wintry scene. I allowed myself some minutes in the park to trudge through the snow and appreciate the spectacular ice display on the trees – a welcome time out from doing the grocery store run. The air was crisp and still. Everywhere I looked was a picture postcard.

 

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Of course, unlike fictional Narnia, it will not be always winter and never Christmas here. Christmas is coming apace with all of its welcome light and warmth…as well as all of the craziness. We need to take some moments to consider the beauty of this truth, before the trappings of the season crowd it out – Christmas has come. The light has come. Christ has come.

Our Aslan came, the lion and the lamb, yet God in human form – a baby born, knowing our struggles, taking our place, and ultimately our punishment, then rising again. With his roar of victory, Jesus brings the offer of life to our stone cold, treacherous hearts. ‘Winter meets its death…we shall have spring again.’

…to be continued…