When I was trying to figure out what I could write for this post I find the carol, ‘While Shepherds Watched’, and got me thinking about the shepherds in the Christmas story, and how they must have felt when the angels appeared to them. Before I enlighten you on my thoughts though, here are the lyrics to this carol:

While shepherds watched
Their flocks by night
All seated on the ground
The angel of the Lord came down
And glory shone around
And glory shone around

“Fear not,” he said,
For mighty dread
Had seized their troubled minds
“Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind,
To you and all mankind.”

“To you in David’s
Town this day
Is born of David’s line
The Savior who is Christ the Lord
And this shall be the sign
And this shall be the sign.”

“The heavenly Babe
You there shall find
To human view displayed
And meanly wrapped
In swathing bands
And in a manger laid
And in a manger laid.”

Thus spake the seraph,
And forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels praising God, who thus
Addressed their joyful song
Addressed their joyful song

“All glory be to
God on high
And to the earth be peace;
Goodwill henceforth
From heaven to men
Begin and never cease
Begin and never cease!”

The part that stood out for me was this line,
‘”Fear not,” he said, For mighty dread Had seized their troubled minds’.
Put yourself in the shepherds shoes for a moment. You and your fellow shepherds are standing in a dark, deserted field, with only each other and your sheep for company. It’s late and you are feeling very tired. This is a usual night for you, and today is no different. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a strange figure appears in the sky surrounded by a bright light. They tell you ”Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Now if that was me, I would either be completely freaked, or else thinking I really need to get some sleep. Then many more strange figures appear and singing. By this time I would be thinking that I was far too tired and had started halucinating. When darkness had filled the sky again and you had rubbed your eyes several times you realise your friends have seen and heard them too. I’m sure you agree but I would be beyond terrified at the fact that they weren’t just a dream or an halucination, and possibly real. And what were these strange figures, a question which could be answered many ways. Would you instant thought be that they were angels? And would you really believe what they said was true, that God’s son had come?

Just say you were walking down the road and somebody came up to you and said they were Jesus. What chance is there that you would believe them? If it was me, I would just carry on walking and ignore them. And even if they did something to try and prove it to you, people don’t trust that easily, and you would most probably try and convince yourself of how they could have shown you that ‘proof’ without being Jesus. (Sorry if that sentence doesn’t make sense!) Anyway, onto my message. People are always saying God doesn’t exist because we can’t see him in anyway, or there is no proof of his existence. For example, yesterday I was having a discussion about atheism and somebody said, ‘Show me that God exists then’. But I think you can see God, it just depends how people interpret the ‘proof’ and whether they choose to believe that it is really God. Even things as big and bold as angels filling the sky with light and sound are hard to believe just because they are so abnormal.
So when singing the carol above this Christmas, maybe have a think about ways that God’s existance is proven, but are not seen as ‘proof’.

Hannah P :)

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