his weather...

[pawlee]

sitting here under a cloudless sky with a current temperature of 23 degrees farenheit, observational conditions in Central IL at the time of this post are nearly identical to those of when Jesus was born. with this in mind, i took a peek at the current forecast for Jerusalem to see that they are looking at clear skies with a low of 43 degrees farenheit expected today. these conditions in respect to the seasonal difference of the region (in contrast to the US) would be nearly identical to that which is believed to be historically accurate over 2000 years ago. it was under clear skies that a star was observed thus leading the three wise men to a stable in Bethlehem to record the birth of the son of God. in pairing Biblical history with meteorology, i cannot help but imagine the difficulty it was to bring a child into this world under the cover of night outside in 43 degree weather having livestock serve as the only source of warmth. you also have to figure, under clear skies at night, radiational cooling which is daytime heat escaping into the atmosphere due to lack of cloud cover may have lowered temperatures even further. with all these scientific elements in mind, i have to wonder why God would choose to bring his son into this world at such a harsh time when you think he would've chosen a warmer season. perhaps God's decision on the timing of December 25th was meant to serve as a subtle example of his love for in even the harshest of weather, he provided for all who were there including the means by which to find comfort (animals), direction (star) and of course shelter (stable). perhaps also too as the son of God has been considered a gift to mankind, God chose this time which is hardly ideal for giving birth outside as a reminder of his love for us by presenting under the harshest of conditions he who would become our ultimate gift. it's alot to think about but perhaps through empathizing with the weather that Mary, Joseph, little Jesus and all in attendance had to endure on that night so long ago, our hearts will become humbled. it is in the humbling of our hearts that brings us closer to He who has provided for us with his love both then and now... Happy Holidays! Paul