The blaze of glory shined through the darkness

Imagine the stench. It literally grew on you, like so much fungus. The hills were alive with the, uh, smell of sheep. The stench grabbed the air as if it were carpet to be rolled or grass to be mowed. When you raised sheep, you raised the bar -- on smells, filth, etc. That was sheep-farming in Palestine. There was little glory in raising these creatures.

The shepherds didn't have to imagine. They lived the life. In their homes, where the sheep were housed during long, cold winters. In the caves of the area, where the sheep were kept if space was a problem. On and on -- up those scraggly hills and down those rocky mountains.

Imagine.

When my wife, Mary, and I were in Israel, we visited the field that tradition says the shepherds of the Nativity would have stayed.

The Message Bible says of these guys: "There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.” At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him."

 

The Message says they were singing; the NIV says they were saying. The point is about the same. Praises rang out. Above the cattle lowing and the sheep smelling and the shepherds quaking, praises rang out."

 

Imagine, please, imagine.

 

Last night I walked out of the parsonage and into the most beautiful of nights. The moon lay in the sky like a tired pup. Its glory, a laser-bright light that somehow remained a pale, quiet yellowish tint painted light over the town as if a can of moonlight had fallen from God's cabinet. A star rested to the left and a star rested to the right of the moon, somehow reminding me of the Holy Trinity, three in one, all in all.

 

When we finished with Club 316, our youth program, I stood in the courtyard of the church, letting the liquid-moonshine envelop me like winter's honey. For a brief moment, I imagined that night 2,000 plus years ago. I imagined the sheep and their racket. I imagined the darkness of the outskirts as shepherds tried to guide the younger sheep to the shadows of pens or even up rocky terrain as they searched for a cave they could call their own -- so to speak. I imagined as some of the young sheep lay down under the tumble brush, calling for mama with bleats and maaasss. I imagined the terror of God's glory "blazing," and an angel saying to not be afraid as if saying it would make it so. I imagined and the  very first first-alert message system going into effect, and angels in the air (IN THE AIR!!!!) blaring  over the God-based, angel-Pads the first Christmas carol. Granted getting things to sync back then must have been difficult, but ...

 

I imagined, letting the night roll over and through me, and like I suspect the first eve of Christmas was, suddenly the glory, the blaze, the light, the singing was done, gone, kaput.

 

Solidifying angel-lore, blazing angel-speak, sweet-angelic choirs and shaky shepherds being rather thankful that these angels have left the hills sometime during that long night, all these things were given as part of the first gift-swap.

 

Imagine, just imagine. The shepherds told everyone they met, the scriptures say. Still quite oderous. Still quite shaky. Still wondering what was in store for them.

 

Isn't that what lies ahead for most, if not all, of us? That's part of the Christmas story, too.

 

Let this Christmas be about perfect love running our fears completely out of the picture. Our church still has to deal with those types of fears, the kind that blaze and the kind that sneak up on you.

 

Let's pray: “O GOD, you aren’t impressed by numbers or intimidated by a show of force once you decide to help: Help us, O GOD; we have come out to meet this huge army because we trust in you and who you are. Don’t let mere mortals stand against you!”

"O GOD, let us be those who reflect that blaze of glory; let us be among those who seek your light. Let us, O give the light to those who are still surrounded by darkness this Advent season. AMEN."