"The Creator did not just divide the circle of the year into two, giving us winter and summer simply. We do not go from one extreme to another without any intermediate stage. Instead, spring and autumn afford us a mean temperature between the icy cold and burning heat...
"An excessively wet, cold winter does not succeed a very dry, warm summer, but spring, which participates in the heat of one and the cold of the other, effects the best mixture of the extremes and taking in hand, so to speak, these contrary elements-the cold of winter and the heat of summer-brings complete enemies into friendly agreement. As a result, our transition from winter to summer is made without difficulty. In a short time we get away from the cold of winter and approach the heat of summer without experiencing any injury from the rapid transition...
"Likewise in changing from summer to winter, autumn intervenes to prevent us from reaching the extreme of winter all at once and also to temper the extremes of heat and cold, providing another mean temperature and conducting us to this extreme by easy stages. Such is the care of the Creator for us. And thus He makes the changes of the seasons pleasant as well as endurable for us."
Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus from On Divine Providence
No comments:
Post a Comment