An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife.” (Matthew 1:20)
A couple of years ago my wife, Verna, and I were out for a walk after we had a lot snow. I was a tad ahead when someone I knew shouted from their truck,
“Verna fell down! Look…she’s lying on the ground!”
I looked back to see where Verna was and then said to them,
“She’s fine… she’s just making a snow angel!”
When out for our routine walks, Verna loves to leave celestial impressions in the snow and maybe create a little mystery for those who later gaze upon it.
Now I am not 100 per cent sure if I have ever encountered a real angel. I think I might have, but due to their mysterious nature, how could one know for certain?
I think angels can be compared to some things that science knows are real but are still trying to understand and to prove. Something such as “dark matter” which apparently comprises 27 per cent of our universe. Physicists know it exists but can’t easily detect it. Angels are mysterious like this, but somehow, they keep showing up.
As Christmas approaches you can’t avoid angels. They turn up everywhere, such as in greeting cards, wrapping paper, Christmas carols, and church banners. Typically, these mysterious heavenly agents are in white robes with wide feathery wings, halos above their heads but we don’t really know what they look like.
One thing we can know about an angel is that if we saw one, there’s a chance we will be afraid or terrified since they are so far beyond the everyday and familiar. As we find in the Bible the first words from an angel’s mouth are usually, “Don’t be afraid!”
People didn’t see them very often at all, but angelic activity picked up a lot as the birth of Christ approached. These divine messengers made distinct appearances to Mary, mother of Jesus, Zechariah the would-be father of John the Baptist, and the shepherds abiding in the fields.
As well as to Joseph, father of Jesus, whom after finding out his soulmate was already pregnant. Joseph deeply wrestled if he should go ahead with this marriage. But then “An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. For it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived. She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus.”
In Bible times, angel experiences were more obvious. But they tend to act in our lives in more subtle ways, through whispers, mysterious coincidences or through “guardian angel” experiences.
One time a close friend of my wife’s, named Tammy, was lying on a hospital bed and she was really struggling and overwhelmed. Just not sure if she could handle one more challenge from life. But one day, a spritely friendly woman came to visit her. This angelic soul brought a message of hope and was very uplifting. One thing Tammy particularly noticed was that she wore red shoes. Later Tammy asked the staff, “Who it was that came to visit me?”, but no one saw anyone go to her room.
Angels are mysterious, they are part and parcel to the mystery of having faith. Years ago, I met a minister named David, who told me about a time when he was younger and struggling with doubts about his faith. Then one night, when in bed, he had what can only be described as a mystical experience. David had a vision of a bible verse he had never seen before, that strangely lit up his wall. Here’s what he saw:
“This Christian life is a great mystery, far exceeding our understanding, but some things are clear enough:
Christ, who came to earth as a man, was proved spotless and pure in his Spirit, was served by angels, was preached among the nations, was accepted by people everywhere, and was received up again to his glory in heaven.”
(1 Timothy 3:16)
This one Bible verse really speaks of the mystery, but the reality of the story of the Christ of Christmas. May you receive it with all your heart!
