Last year the first time I saw snow was just a few days before Christmas. The snow hung around for a couple of months before finally disappearing. That was pretty unusual for Edinburgh, where some winters there is no snow, and even in a bad winter it would only lie around for a week or two.
So I was quite interested on Tuesday morning this week to see through my study window a dusting of snow on Ben Hope. Ben Hope is the most northerly Munro in Scotland, a 'Munro' being a mountain peak higher than 3000 feet, or 914m, above sea level. My OS map indicates Ben Hope is 927m.
The dusting of snow increased slightly on Tuesday afternoon, and then on Wednesday the heavy showers continued with even greater intensity. Even Ben Hutig at 408m near Melness had some snow on the summit by the end of the day.
In the noontime sunshine I was astonished to see that the strong breeze was swirling around the summit and whipping up the snow into graceful whorls and streamers. The sunlight was gleaming off the white snow and it was awesomely beautiful. You can see a photo below. The snow must have been very dry to be lifted into the air by the wind.
Sometimes we take the everyday beauty of our world for granted. The delicate balance of nature on the surface of our planet seems imperturbable. Yet the narrow zone of habitable environment is narrower than we think. A rise in global carbon dioxide, or a fall in the solar power output, is all it takes to throw our human civilisations into chaos.
God calls each of us to live in harmony with his plan and purpose for the world. We are to love our neighbours, even if they are our enemies. We are to care for the poor, bring healing to the sick, deliver justice to the oppressed, and to enjoy the bounteous provision of our creator God. God is love - dwell in his love.
Gorgeous pictures!
ReplyDelete