Unto You Is Born This Day . . . A Heavenly Perspective (a Christmas Story)

This story was told as a part of the Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship . . .

(click here for the audio for this story)

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Preparations had been underway for months, and the moment had finally arrived. Well, that’s not exactly right. You see, time is a human construct, so what happens here in heaven falls outside of the normal understanding of time. Did I mention that I’m an angel? Maybe I forgot that part. Sorry. I get ahead of myself sometimes. Let me start again. My name is Khanan-el and I am an angel. You’ve probably never heard of me. I’m not one of the famous names, like Michael or Gabriel. They’re the ones who usually get the big spotlight gigs. I’m just a part of the choir – the “heavenly host” is how some people refer to us. It doesn’t really matter that you didn’t know my name before now. We all have a part to play and when each of us shows up and gives it our best, the results are really quite amazing, whether you recognize me or not. But I’m here now and I want to tell you about something that happened a long time ago (well, at least it was a long time ago from your perspective – from where I sit it was like it was yesterday – or maybe more like it’s still happening and always will be – this time versus eternity stuff is hard to keep track of sometimes). 

Anyway, as I started to say, plans and preparations had been made and the time had arrived for them to unfold and become manifest in the world. My boss (I think the name you know is “God”) is always working on sharing love with the world in new ways that you humans will recognize. (Did I mention that my name, Khanan-el, means the Love of God? I’ve always liked that.) So, God was working on sharing love in a powerful new way because you humans always seem to get distracted and confused about such things. Gabriel had been sent to let a couple of them in on the plan. A lovely young woman named Mary was going to have a baby and God wanted her to know how incredibly special that baby was, so Gabriel was dispatched to deliver the good news. Then Mary’s partner, a really good guy named Joseph, got pretty freaked out by the whole thing and needed to be reassured that everything was going to be OK. So Gabriel took care of that as well. 

But from there things got a bit complicated. This plan of God’s had lots of moving parts. Mary and Joseph ended up traveling right before the baby was born, so at the last minute they had to find somewhere to stay. And for reasons that some of us could never quite figure out there were some scholars in another country that were brought into the mix. They had a long way to travel, so they wouldn’t even arrive until later, but they needed to be informed, and the heavenly tech crew were assigned the task of coming up with a star to guide them on their way. It was all very dramatic.

Meanwhile, back in Bethlehem (did I mention that the name of the place where Mary and Joseph ended up was called Bethlehem? I think I forgot. Sorry. There are just so many details to keep track of in this story.) Back in Bethlehem, which is normally a pretty small and sleepy village, all the various pieces of this plan were rapidly coming together. The whole thing really was quite remarkable. The couple arrived just in time for Mary to give birth. Accommodations were secured in a barn out behind the inn. The innkeeper’s wife sent for the local mid-wife. Mary, exhausted though she was, proved stronger and more resilient than she looked. And it wasn’t long before her son was born – healthy and strong. And did I mention loud? I’m pretty sure everyone in the neighborhood knew when he arrived in the world. 

But even with all of that, there was still more to this plan of God’s. More folks needed to be informed. And not just the usual folks you might expect. God wanted everyone to know about this birth, starting with the folks who usually got left out – the common, ordinary, everyday folks. (I think that might be my favorite part of this plan.) And this is where I come into the story. Up until then we (all of us ordinary heavenly host angels) had just been watching it unfold from the sidelines. But now it was our turn to shine – literally. (Did you know that we angels can light up like the sun when the occasion calls for it?) Our assignment was to go to the hillside just outside of town where the local shepherds were hanging out with their sheep and deliver the news of what was happening. You should have seen their faces when we showed up! Let’s just say that we got their attention. And then we sang! I’m really not trying to brag, but if you’ve never heard us sing you can’t even begin to imagine what you’ve been missing. “For unto you is born this day in the City of David . . .” This sort of announcement called for that kind of fancy language. 

The whole thing didn’t last long, except, of course, it lasted forever. It’s still unfolding. God’s love showed up, because that’s what God’s love is always doing – showing up, surrounding everyone, shining light into the darkness – you get the picture. That was God’s big plan – let everyone (God was really insistent on that part) know that God is always present, love is real, and miracles (like baby’s being born) are happening all the time – you just have to pay attention. I still can hardly believe I got to be a part of it. And (this is the important part) so can you, because even though it happened a long time ago it’s still happening now (did I mention that time is a funny thing?). I’m not quite sure how this big plan will unfold next, but I am absolutely certain you won’t want to miss it. Just keep paying attention and let God’s light shine. I promise you won’t be sorry.