*Originally posted December 10, 2011*
As I live in historically agrarian Eastern Europe, I notice that shepherds are usually either children or older folks. Stronger members of the family are responsible for more strenuous tasks. Flocks of sheep and goats are never fluffy and white, but spotted with mud and manure, emitting a repugnant odor. Shepherds are exposed, along with the sheep, to all kinds of weather and long hours of boredom. Theirs is not a position to be envied.
When the angels appeared to the shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem, we are told it was night time. I can’t imagine the shock of both the blinding light and the sound of a heavenly host interrupting the calm. Penetrating the darkness and the silence are both light and song. To the cold, lonely and disgruntled came a host of angels announcing the arrival of a Savior, the Christ child.
After this extraordinary news, blinding light and exultant song, Scripture says the shepherds hurry off to find Mary and Joseph and the child. This is where I stop and ask, where are both light and song penetrating the darkness around me? Where is the Good News announced and what is my response? Will I sing the angels’ song and make it my own, like the shepherds did?
Recently we began teaching a group of children from the orphanage some carols in preparation for Christmas. Last week, after many rehearsals, we took them on a field trip as a reward for good behavior. As we were leaving the orphanage an older group of children came towards us, angry and eager to steal our joy. Jeers, shouts and even a few stones came flying our way as we four adults tried to protect the younger ones and keep them walking until we were out of the compound.
Then a miracle happened. Someone from our group began to sing. As the familiar tune reached our ears, smiles lit our faces. Almost immediately we were all singing, robustly out of tune, It’s Christmas. People tell me it’s Christmas. The joy of Christmas. God loved us, giving us His Son. It’s Christmas, good Christmas. The joy of Christmas. The song on our lips drove darkness away as we held out hope in response to hostility.
Every time we sing with the children at the orphanage, I sense that the kingdom of God is near. Their voices united in song defy the gloom and bring light into eyes that have known much sadness.
The angels sang, the shepherds sang, and our children sing. Light and song penetrate the darkness. Will we join them this Advent season, raising our voices and choosing hope in the face of despair, choosing gratitude instead of resentment?