Messengers of Faith
Throughout religious
history, angels have been known as the guardian protectors of the faithful and
were believed to be Messengers of Faith. Angels don't get much attention today.
If the spirit world is acknowledged at all, it's usually the dark side, the
bizarre satanic cults that are wreaking so much havoc, especially among our
youth. Yet there is evidence that good spirits are also at work here on earth -
combating evil, bringing news, warning us of danger, consoling us in our
suffering...then vanishing. I believe there are angels among us and the message
they have is that God cares for us.
Angels don't
submit to test, testify in court or slide under a microscope for examination.
Thus, their existence cannot be "proved" by the guidelines we humans usually
use. To know one, perhaps, requires a willingness to suspend judgment, to open
ourselves to possibilities we've only dreamed about - to have faith. "The best
and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched," Helen
Keller said. "They must be felt with the heart."
In Scripture,
many angels appear as powerful, fearless soldiers. But there are also Bible
stories about men and women meeting angels in human form, angels who look just
like ordinary mortals. Many of us, in moments when life has seemed most
frightening, painful or bewildering, have heard a whisper, felt an invisible
hand on our shoulder, been helped by a stranger, who was just like us...and yet,
somehow, not like us. At times when we have felt abandoned and alone, how many
of us have been touched by a mysterious, unexplainable encounter that has given
us courage, faith and the strength we need to go on.
What is it
that angels do? They bring us good news. They open our eyes to moments of
wonder, to lovely possibilities, to exemplary people, to the idea that God is
here in our midst. They lift our hearts and give us wings. We can do that for
each other.
Angels
minister to us. They sit silently with us as we mourn. They offer us
opportunities to turn our suffering into bridges of healing and hope. They
challenge us toward new understanding, fresh perspectives. We can do that for
each other.
Angels offer
practical help. They furnish information, provide food, buffer the storms of
life. Angels lead everyone in the same direction, although not everyone travels
at the same speed. But angels are willing to stand by - and wait. We can do that
for each other.
There is one
trouble with full-time angels; they are completely unpredictable and we cannot
send out for one. That is why part-time angels are so important. Part-time
angels like you and me.
Few of us may
identify an angel during our lifetime (although, I am sure each of us has been
touched by them). But we can all be Messengers of Faith to one another. We can
choose to obey the small stirring within us, the little whisper that says, "Go.
Ask. Reach Out." Be an answer to someone's plea. As we teach in Rainbow, be of
some service each day, help someone along the way. We have a part to play. Have
faith. You and I can decide to risk that God is indeed there, watching, caring,
cherishing us as we love and accept love.
The world
will be a better place for it. Go. Ask. Reach Out. Be a Messenger of Faith. We
can do that for each other.
I am sure we
all have known someone who has been a Messenger of Faith in our lives. In memory
of my mother, who was and continues to be a Messenger of Faith in my life; I lay
this white rose on our Altar and dedicate this year to her.