“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified.”
Luke 2:8-9
In the dark night, thousands of anonymous people waited. Everything went quiet. Then came the words, “Andy, can you turn on the lights so we can see the people.” Instantly, floodlights filled Glastonbury’s Pyramid stage and illuminated the 100,000 people who were transfixed at this magical moment. It was like each individual was seen all in one moment of togetherness. Thom Yorke, Radiohead’s enigmatic frontman, had turned the focus onto the people when they hadn’t been expecting it. Sharp intakes of breath around the crowd echoed the sense of wonder and Radiohead slipped into a famous rendition of Paranoid Android. I slumped back into my sofa and thought, “I wish I’d gone to Glastonbury this year!”
I always think of this moment when I read this passage. These shepherds were not expecting anything out of the ordinary. They were just living their simple and fairly meager lives. All of a sudden God turns the lights on. An angel of the Lord rocks up, bringing with him the radiance of Yahweh into full focus. This is the same glory that passed Moses and it has the same effect. He hit the floor in fear and trembling worship.
Shepherds were not well regarded, so it would have come as a bit of a shock to be greeted by an angel! But as Luke (the writer of this gospel) goes to lengths to show us, God came for those who didn’t expect it. Jesus said he didn’t come for the healthy but the sick. And that is true for us too. If you feel insignificant, small, unnoticed or misunderstood - Jesus came to earth for you. This story reminds us that God brings his glory and goodness into our darkness.
Advent Activation
This Christmas, maybe you have gone home to be with family. You may be staying at uni. You may feel like you are in the dark; unsure of what the future holds. Things might be difficult, you may feel like you’ve changed and people don’t understand you.
Take a moment now to remember that no matter how we feel, no matter how irrelevant we feel, the God of heaven knows you by name and loves you. And he is saying, “turn the lights on, I want to see this person.”
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