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“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool" (Isaiah 1.18).
“As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire" (Daniel 7.9).
"His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow" (Matthew 28.3).
You may have heard of snow blindness. It is what happens when we are suddenly hit with all the brightness of the sun reflecting off of the snow. It is particularly powerful when we are coming out of a relatively dark place into a bright winter day. I experienced it growing up, usually when I would come out of a dark ice-fishing shack on a frozen snow-covered lake. It really was blinding. Everything was so white, so bright, that it would hurt. Not only that, but it was impossible to make anything out for a few moments until my eyes adjusted.
I have been thinking of that brightness as I have looked out on our fresh coating of snow this week here in Chantilly. It is what the Bible's authors are talking about when they use snow as a metaphor both for God's cleansing of our sins, and also for God himself. It's not just white. It's not just bright. It's so bright that it we are dazzled by it. It is overpowering, blinding, light.
But of course, the purpose of light isn't to make us blind. It is the opposite. Light helps us see. We can see many things when the light is good that we can't make out if it isn't. Knowing God, through encountering him in the Bible, through worship and through prayer is how our eyes adjust, so to speak, to his brightness. "in your light do we see light" is how Psalm 36, verse 9 puts it. How clearly can you see today?
God Bless,
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