The Birth of Jesus Foretold
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
The Angel
I do not float on a cloud
Strumming a golden harp
I do not appear in a rush of air
and a Carol of bells
I am much more gritty
and down to earth
I am the woman in the next street
deheading rose bushes
or sweeping up leaves
who shares a sympathetic look
as you struggle with your brolly on a windy day
I am the man you passed
on the station platform
with the backpack
and the laptop bag
Who raises an eyebrow
as the man across the aisle shares
too much information on his mobile phone.
Often I smile
or cry
I try to create beauty
or bring light.
Once in a lifetime I will have
a special commission - or two
I told Mary of the seed that was within her
And then persuaded Joseph
to go ahead and marry her.
On those assignments I carried
a frisson of fear
and left in my wake
a trail of chaos
but also wonder
and promise
Folk are free to reject me
or ignore my message
or blank me completely.
But Mary and Joseph
listened
And, if not exactly welcoming
they did not write me off
but spent the rest of their lives
pondering my words
along with their import.
And, even if they didn't ever fully appreciate
their uniqueness
They changed the face of history
by listening to me
an angel sent by God.
Liz Crumlish 2014
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