Find
Politics and religion. Two things that should never be discussed in polite company. Except, somehow, both topics had sort of commingled tonight. They didn't normally get into discussions like this. Usually they were too busy taking care of their sheep. But tonight, around the fire, they moved beyond complaining about taxes and working conditions and began to discuss deeper things.
"I tell you," Hiram said, "if any of those prophets were around today, they would have a thing or two to say to old King Herod!"
"Prophets!" his friend and co-worker, Simon, snorted. "What do you know about prophets? There haven't been any of those around for four hundred years or more!"
"I know about the prophets," Hiram shot back. "I've heard their words read at the synagogue."
"Synagogue?" Jacob said. "How in the world did you get in the synagogue? We shepherds aren't allowed in the synagogue!"
Hiram sat up a bit straighter. "I sit outside the window and listen."
They all laughed around the fire, but most of them were secretly envious of Hiram's ingenuity. "Anyway," Hiram insisted, "as I was saying, I don't think God looks too kindly on what has been happening around here. It's bad, just real bad."
"If that's so," said Azor, who hadn't said much this evening, "and I'm not disagreeing with you, but if it is, then why doesn't God do something about it?" He looked into the fire and said, much more quietly, "I think God's forgotten about us. He certainly doesn't have any use for us. We're just shepherds."
"How can you say that?" Hiram asked. "Isaiah the prophet described God as a shepherd, and Malachi the prophet said God would send a messenger, a savior."
"Yeah, well, that was a long time ago," Jacob said. "Maybe God has forgotten."
"God has not forgotten, either his promise or you, dear shepherds." The light blazed suddenly, and brightly, and the fire seemed so dim by comparison. "In fact, this very night, God is fulfilling his promise."
Most of them had to turn around to see him, and even then they didn't believe their eyes. An angel, clear as anything. No, he didn't have wings or a bight white robe, but still they knew—they just knew—he was an angel. "Unto you is born this day in the city of David—in Bethlehem, right over there—the savior is born. He is Christ, the Lord."
Just like that, he vanished. A couple of them wiped their eyes, thinking maybe it had been a dream (or mass hallucination?), and just before they could give voice to those thoughts, the sky exploded with angels, singing the most beautiful song they had ever heard. They wondered why more people didn't come out, but then again, they didn't really mind. It was a private concert, just for them, just for people the world overlooked. God really had not forgotten them.
Nor had God forgotten their people, if the angel's story was to be believed. When the concert was over, Hiram headed immediately toward the town. "Where are you going?" called out Azor.
"To Bethlehem!" he shouted. When they looked at him quizzically, he stopped and looked back at them. "Aren't you even a bit curious if it's true or not? There's only one way to find out." And then he was off again, headed to the town.
"What about the sheep?" Jacob called after him.
"Leave the sheep or bring them, I don't care. I'm going to go find a savior."
"I tell you," Hiram said, "if any of those prophets were around today, they would have a thing or two to say to old King Herod!"
"Prophets!" his friend and co-worker, Simon, snorted. "What do you know about prophets? There haven't been any of those around for four hundred years or more!"
"I know about the prophets," Hiram shot back. "I've heard their words read at the synagogue."
"Synagogue?" Jacob said. "How in the world did you get in the synagogue? We shepherds aren't allowed in the synagogue!"
Hiram sat up a bit straighter. "I sit outside the window and listen."
They all laughed around the fire, but most of them were secretly envious of Hiram's ingenuity. "Anyway," Hiram insisted, "as I was saying, I don't think God looks too kindly on what has been happening around here. It's bad, just real bad."
"If that's so," said Azor, who hadn't said much this evening, "and I'm not disagreeing with you, but if it is, then why doesn't God do something about it?" He looked into the fire and said, much more quietly, "I think God's forgotten about us. He certainly doesn't have any use for us. We're just shepherds."
"How can you say that?" Hiram asked. "Isaiah the prophet described God as a shepherd, and Malachi the prophet said God would send a messenger, a savior."
"Yeah, well, that was a long time ago," Jacob said. "Maybe God has forgotten."
"God has not forgotten, either his promise or you, dear shepherds." The light blazed suddenly, and brightly, and the fire seemed so dim by comparison. "In fact, this very night, God is fulfilling his promise."
Most of them had to turn around to see him, and even then they didn't believe their eyes. An angel, clear as anything. No, he didn't have wings or a bight white robe, but still they knew—they just knew—he was an angel. "Unto you is born this day in the city of David—in Bethlehem, right over there—the savior is born. He is Christ, the Lord."
Just like that, he vanished. A couple of them wiped their eyes, thinking maybe it had been a dream (or mass hallucination?), and just before they could give voice to those thoughts, the sky exploded with angels, singing the most beautiful song they had ever heard. They wondered why more people didn't come out, but then again, they didn't really mind. It was a private concert, just for them, just for people the world overlooked. God really had not forgotten them.
Nor had God forgotten their people, if the angel's story was to be believed. When the concert was over, Hiram headed immediately toward the town. "Where are you going?" called out Azor.
"To Bethlehem!" he shouted. When they looked at him quizzically, he stopped and looked back at them. "Aren't you even a bit curious if it's true or not? There's only one way to find out." And then he was off again, headed to the town.
"What about the sheep?" Jacob called after him.
"Leave the sheep or bring them, I don't care. I'm going to go find a savior."
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| Chapel at Shepherd's Field, Bethlehem, Israel - June 2012 |
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