Advent 2023

Week 3 - Peace

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. (Luke 2:10)

One of the most memorable moments for my family was a Christmas almost sixty years ago.  My siblings and I decided to reenact the Christmas story for our parents in the basement of our home. We chose the basement because one of our plans was to wrap a sheet around our little sister, Mary Lou, dressed as an angel, and lower her from the top of the basement steps to the floor below for her grand entrance. Our parents nixed this plan as soon as they heard about it, stifling our creativity but probably resulting in a much safer presentation.  Instead, Mary Lou "appeared" from behind a bamboo screen to two shepherds dressed in pajamas (brother Wil and me) while sister Alice narrated from the gospels. 

The picture you see was at the moment of that appearance of the angel to the shepherds.  On one hand, it's a really cute picture of siblings enacting the Christmas story for their parents (especially the good-looking shepherd on the left, which was me).  

On the other hand, it depicts the moment of the first and one of the most important Christmas messages, "Fear not."  The angels would go on to proclaim the message of the arrival of the Christ child but that message could not be delivered until the shepherds first heard and embraced the message of  "Fear not."

In the Advent season, the "Fear not" message is just as relevant today as it was to the shepherds tending their flocks and suddenly visited by an angel.  As we light the Advent candles we will hear messages of peace, hope, joy and love.  In a space where these truly live, fear cannot remain.  This is welcome news when world events and personal challenges constantly push us towards worry and anxiety.  If we can first hear and embrace the message of "Fear not," then we will open ourselves to receive the rest of the Christmas message.

So during this Advent season, remember to fear not unless, of course, your three-year-old is being lowered in a sheet from the basement stairs.

Prayer

Dear Lord, help us to hear the message of the angel, to put aside our fears, and to trust in your grace. Amen.

This devotional was written by Charlie Barton and read by Herb Sadler.

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