Angels

Dear Friends in Christ -

Whenever I come across the word "angel," one general image springs to mind: glorious, winged man-like creature, daunting. It's a picture that's an amalgam of images painted by Raphael and Fra Angelico - the kind of creature that is so beautiful that it takes your breath away, the kind of creature that emmates such power that it needs to say "Fear not!" so you don't follow your natural instincts and run in the other direction.

But today's reading from Judges (13:15-24) and the meditation in "Forward Day by Day" remind us that there's another kind of angel. This kind of angel comes so unassumingly that, at first, we may not even realize there's anything special going on. Then, often after the encounter itself, we realize that this one - this friend, child, spouse, acquainance or stranger - comes with a word or presence or gift from God.

Many of us have had encounters with these kinds of angels. God sends them to us as messengers and healers. Some of us would tend to dismiss these angels with a sigh - "what a nice kid" or a frown - "what business does that jerk have in signalling for me to slow down." But the Spirit whispers to us insistently, "look! listen! It's me."

The power and grace in these encounters multiplies when we acknowledge that it's not an accident, it's not happen-stance, it's G0d himself reaching out to us.

May you (and I!) be blessed this day with an uncommonly common encounter with an angel of the Lord.
Faithfully yours,
Janet+