Unexpected Angels
By Janine C. Hagan
Janine is the Sr. Consultant of FaithShapes! ®, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of EcuMiniNet™ Online! and President of Creative Christian Resourcing, Inc. She is a member of Edgewood Presbyterian Church (USA) in Birmingham, Alabama.

"Then there appeared to him (Zechariah) an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the alter of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him." (Luke 1:11-12)

I would have been just as shocked as Zechariah if I had seen that angel. Although Zechariah lived in a time when God's messengers were more readily recognizable, it doesn't mean that he expected an "angel-sighting." This introduction into the foretelling of the birth of John the Baptist allows me to feel Zechariah's fear, to sense his awe for these heavenly apparitions.

As I seek to understand Zechariah, I also search my own memory and understanding of angels. When and where have I seen an "angel"? What happened in that encounter, and how did that make me feel? How did that sighting impact my relationship with Holy God?

My most recent experience and closest encounter with an angel was with Martha. My friends and I were at the local "hands-on" science center viewing the latest Imax film. Fear of the unfamiliar sensations was overwhelming me. As I covered my eyes, there sat little Miss Martha, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's newest victim, comforting me. She never flinched; just calmly kept touching me and gently asking if I was okay.

As we spent the morning and the noontime hour together, my sense of receiving and giving love was so strong that I was overcome with the very real sense of being in the presence of an angel. Martha's sheer presence and gentle acceptance of her burdens gave a message to me. This became a foretelling of another kind of birth, my own sense of purpose.

Advent is a time for angels. Advent is a time of "preparing for" and "being prepared " for Jesus Christ. Advent means remembering God's purpose. Most of all, Advent brings us closer to God and to Jesus Christ, so that in reaching for the Holy, we find ourselves.

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