“Aegis-bearing Zeus has a design for each occasion, and mortals find this hard to comprehend.”
Hesiod, Works and Days
Hesiod was convinced that Zeus has a plan for every occasion. Even February. Yet we mortals find this hard to comprehend—especially after a long, cold winter.
But Hesiod has discovered the beginning of wisdom: a confidence that a loving Providence has arranged all things, including the cycle of the year, for the good of mortals. It is our place to discover the design, and to live according to it. Winter is not simply to be tolerated; it is to be lived well.
Here is my longer reflection on the spiritual challenge of winter: God’s Plan for February.
Hesiod (8th century B.C.) was a Greek contemporary of Homer, and likewise an epic poet.
Originally posted at Bacon from Acorns.