Annunciation to the Shepherds William Blake, 1809
Read Luke 2.13 -14
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’
The account
of the annunciation of Christ’s birth to the shepherds doesn’t just involve one
angel. A “multitude of the heavenly host” appears as well.
The “heavenly
host” doesn’t often appear in the Bible, and when it does, for example in 2
Kings 6.17, it is as a heavenly army, ready to fight the enemies of God.
Forget the
cute nativity play angels, these are mighty warriors, and you wouldn’t want to
meet them on a dark night! But that is exactly what happens to these shepherds
on the hillside outside Bethlehem. No wonder they are terrified. The song the angels sing, however, is one of peace. The Romans claimed to bring their version of
peace, the Pax Romana, to the nations they conquered, but it was a peace
which demanded submission to Rome, and was maintained by ruthless suppression
of dissent. The Biblical vision of God’s peace is entirely different. It comes
into being when what is wrong is set right, and it is rooted in love.
William Blake’s
attempt to portray this moment is full of light, but beyond the splendour of
the angels we can just see the cause of their rejoicing, a distant stable in
which Mary and Joseph gaze at their new born son.
- When have you felt most at peace in your life?
- Do you feel at peace now? If not, what would have to be set right in your life to bring you the peace you long for?
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