Winter

There is a stark beauty about winter that makes it an attractive time to be outdoors with a camera. The structure of the natural world is revealed as bare trees and shrubs are outlined against the sky. The shape of landscapes becomes clearer. The addition of snow or ice to a scene adds an intriguing element to the image

Winter strikes me as a time for reflection: a long walk through a snowy field or forest or sitting quietly before a fireplace while the wind howls outside. It’s as if the slowing down of the natural world calls forth a similar slowing down of human activity, as we wait for the return of light and the rebirth of spring.

Winter reminds me that I need to pare down from time to time, that the natural world passes away, that I need to take time for self-renewal, that I need to remind myself that spring is around the corner.

The passing of the natural world, the call to reflection, and the anticipation of new life are all themes that we see in the life and teachings of Jesus.  The season of Lent that we are entering into calls us to reflection, self-renewal, and a change of heart (metanoia).

“A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me.” (Ps 51:12)