Those of us who have lived in Florida for at least a year have been rudely acquainted with flying and crawling things we wish God had not created. Gnats, mosquitoes, roaches. They make themselves known via our necks, ankles, pretty much anywhere on our bodies that looks inviting. Our porches and patios may have “zappers” or citronella candles to ward them off.

The Lord has “no-see-ums” – we call them angels. Actually, we do see them sometimes, revealed in human form. There are many books with artist’s representations of these “secret agents.” An angel is the main character in the story we will hear again this evening. The angel Gabriel prepped the scene in his message of hope and promise to Mary. Angels are certainly a big part in our story, as they were in Jesus’. They tended to him after his temptation, and there was one sitting in his empty tomb declaring to the witnesses, “he is not here”.

For us, they are present when we pray; when we are in harm’s way; they fight our battles for us. It is also a reciprocal relationship. Hebrews 13:2 – “do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some have unwittingly entertained angels”. These are among my favorite stories to hear as a pastor.

Our “invisible allies” remind us of God’s unconditional love. Believing in what we cannot see is what faith is. We stand assured, convinced, and full of Christmas hope.

Pastor Art