It may seem strange but I am thinking about Christmas already, even though we are only in the last few days of July. As we begin to plan the Christmas Fayre at Blunham, the theme has been chosen to be “Angels”. Of course we know the part that the angels played in the Christmas story – telling the shepherds on the hillside about the birth of Jesus. Angels also appear in other parts of the Bible, usually to pass on the words of God to prophets and others about what he wants them to do or to tell to the people of the time. They play an important part in the many stories of the people of Israel’s journey with God.
Angels are not confined to the past but they can also be found in the present day. Of course we all think of angels dressed in white with wings and possibly a halo – but the present-day angels are dressed just like ordinary people. We often read stories of heroism in the face of adversity, rescues in the most difficult of situations and other acts of kindness when something seems impossible and without hope – these are the stories of angels intervening when all seems lost.
You may think it is a bit far-fetched to have modern-day angels, but something inside these people compels them to do whatever it is they need to do to save life or protect those who are caught up in a dangerous situation. Unfortunately, not all of us commit to carrying out what we know we should do and push to the back of our minds the thought of helping someone out. I hope that we would do whatever we can when someone is in need of help, protection or saving from a difficult situation – and be a modern-day angel!
May I wish you God’s love and peace
Revd Graham
