Rumours of Angels – part 2

Angel

If I say it myself, I am good at singing. I had hoped that Michael, God’s choir master would choose me for his heavenly choir to announce the birth of his son, and he did. I was spot on in that dream, by the way, and Joseph’s pride was assuaged by the idea that he had been chosen to raise God’s son. He has now just got to get Mary safely to Bethlehem, and his part is done for a little while. Ah yes, there they are. Oh dear, it looks as if they are only just going to get there in time. God’s plans aren’t leaving much room for error. She looks as if she is only just going to make it out to the stable God has already prepared for her. Um, I wonder if I was supposed to tell Joseph in the dream that he was supposed to ask for a stable, because there certainly aren’t any places left in the Inns in Bethlehem. If I was supposed to bring it into his mind, I forgot! Oh look, there he goes, he has finally found the right Inn, and yes he has got Mary to the stable. Not a moment too soon, if I am any judge. I had better go and get my wings and halo buffed up. This choir isn’t aiming to produce just a rumour of the birth of God’s son, we are going for the full heavenly glory. Shock and awe is what we have been asked to produce; full volume and full brightness in the heavens. Those Shepherds won’t know what has hit them when they get a load of us!

That was fun! Rumours of our work tonight will filter down through the ages. The story of our singing, our light and our beauty will be written in the annals of human history. Some will believe that we were here today, in this place, and to proclaim the birth of God’s son, others will continue to believe that we do not exist, and neither did Jesus. Did I tell you that is what Mary has named him? He is very sweet. And if he is to remain sweet, and alive, I had better get on.

I have another few dreams to inhabit. It won’t be too difficult to inhabit Joseph’s dreams again. We have already met and he now knows and trusts me. I need to tell him that the three of them are in grave danger from Herod. As soon as Jesus is ready to travel, and the sooner the better, he has to set off, not back home to Nazareth, where he was expecting to go, but south along the merchant’s routes until he reaches the Egyptian city of Alexandria, where Herod’s writ does not extend. There are large numbers of his countrymen already living in the city, and he will be able to find somewhere to live, and earn a living without anyone knowing who Jesus really is. I will have to come back into his dreams at a later point to let him know when it is safe to return.

Before I do that though, I need to do something I have never done before. God tells me it is possible, and I have to believe him. Somewhere, and I have yet to spot them, there are three sages travelling from the East to visit Jesus. The only problem is that despite God sticking an enormous star up in the heavens, just to lead them to the right place, they have decided that the star is wrong, and their writings are right. They have taken a wrong turn, and are heading into danger. I have to inhabit three dreams at the same time, and convince them that they should follow the star despite it disagreeing with their writings – the star knows best! Then when they are done, they have to get out of Bethlehem and get back home as quickly as possible, breaking their word to King Herod; and they pride themselves on keeping their word. The only other little flaw with this plan I can see, is that these are men of science, and men of science don’t believe in Angels, so I don’t think they are going to take notice of a single thing I say.

The women at the well in Nazareth are talking about me again. Another day has dawned, and another rumour of angels is surfacing as the buckets are drawn up from the depths of the village well.

“Have you seen Mary and Joseph yet? They arrived back yesterday”

“They look really well, and that little boy of theirs is adorable”

“Do you remember the story about his birth?”

“I never believed those stories of angels. Just look at the lad, isn’t he the spitting image of Joseph when he was that age?

“Well, you are the only one to remember that far back!”

“Don’t you get cheeky now”

“Don’t they look foreign though? I suppose that comes from living in Egypt for these last few years. Fancy that. I suppose that an angel told them to go there.”

Well, now you come to mention it, I did tell them to go; and to come back again. Now is the time for the rest of God’s plan for the saving of mankind to continue here in sleepy Nazareth, but Jesus has a few years to grow up in, before his real work begins.