Wash Me And I Shall Be Whiter Than Snow
As I walked to work this morning, I became suddenly aware of how black everything had become. I was blessed with two days of snowfall upon my arrival in January and although I know it has been occurring over two months, I was surprised by the coal dust that had settled everywhere, ruining the purity of this blanket of white.
Reflective thoughts led me to then compare my own life to a snowfall. The daily dirt that enters my life is not seen immediately. It is only when many days and months of such filth collect that I begin to notice the dingy color of my soul. I am thankful and grateful and awed when a new coat of snow arrives, transforming my world and my soul into a sparkling purity again. Why, then, am I not concerned with the potential pollutants? Why have I not done everything possible to keep out the coal; to identify and destroy each piece of dirt that attempts to ruin this clean canvas? Is it out of laziness and the trust that there will always be another snowstorm?
What if the weatherman refused to forecast a renewal through snow for any city who did not use all their efforts to preserve the snow given to them? What if He was so smart that he could tell which citizens gave all their efforts in destroying the dirt (even if they mistakingly let some taint their lawns), and which people pretended to care? What if He even knew about the people who swept more dirt into their neighbor's yards so as to make their own gray snow seem whiter? If our motives and actions concerning such tainting dirt mattered, would we be more concerned, would we then pay attention?
2 comments:
What if one of our main tasks is environmental care? What if our task is to seek out the harmful black toxins and their sources; both in our lives and in the world around us? While I do not believe that this total environmental clean up is within my power any more any more than cleaning up all the coal dust in China is in your power, I think we must set ourselves toward such a goal. If hopes are captivated by that vision of pure clean whiteness, then the joy is much greater on that day when all things are made pure white and all the harmful pollutants has been covered in a cleanness that was beyond our ability to bring about. Let us struggle on with a cleaning task that we know can not be completed without an infinite help. The more we work for the impossible, the more we will truly hunger for the day that clean helper falls on us.
First, Trin, I loved your thoughts on this matter. My, how profound you've gotten! And secondly, I also loved your comments, Steve. I've adopted and often used the phrase "the only cure for cynicism is activism" and I think, as you propose, activism does bring about hope and joy in a very powerful way. I especially pondered these ideas this weekend as I did my own share of garbage pickup, recycling center preparation, and dry waste composting (cover your excrements in sawdust). It was fantastic and incredibly encouraging! Now to apply that to my spiritual life...
"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." Romans 12:11
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