Days go by when nothing much seems to happen. Then, the government orders a census. Warm or cold, the season is what it is and the shepherds get turned out into the fields to make room for all the royal line of David to arrive in Bethlehem. For a time they get to discuss the disruption of Rome on their lives around the evening campfire, but little did they know the main event was not the census at all. A few more days go by with the sheep doing their thing and the shepherds moving them from place to place; life settles down once more into a time of nothing much happening.
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:8-14)
Behold indeed, it would take a pretty dense shepherd to miss all that going on. Sudden, shocking, an awakening moment had come upon the world. The Christ is come! And that is where we find ourselves today. We go to work and watch our 'sheep', in whatever form they may take. Days go by when nothing much seems to happen and just as suddenly, behold, the Christ will return for us.
Blessed be the name of Jesus in this Christmas season!
Bucky
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