A Shepherd (Rolf Olson)

Old Caesar started growling into the darkness that cold December night. I keep that dog around because first, we get a little warning whenever some animal might be prowling around at night on the edges of the resting flock, and second, I liked being able to tell ‘Caesar’ to shift his lazy bones or to throw a few scraps at him from our meal at the fire. I am sick of the Romans and their proud parading around. Just last summer I had been taken from the flock and forced to carry a soldier’s gear for a mile.  I think he did it just to make it clear who was in charge.  I threw his gear down in the dirt at the end of the mile (actually I pretended to trip from fatigue).  I would never go more than the required mile for one of those bullies.

 Anyway, old Caesar was growling in the starlight just outside the edge of the light from our fire. Then he began to bark and paw the ground like he had when he was a puppy.  The moon hadn’t risen yet, and I strained my eyes against the darkness… Suddenly, Caesar, who had been barking his fool head off, fell silent, sat on his haunches, and looked up. A brilliant light flashed in front of us. Blinded, I blinked, shut my eyes tight, and felt my heart nearly leap from my breast. I wanted to run, but I was rooted to the spot. The light felt like the sun through my closed eyelids, and while I couldn’t see, I could hear just fine. Out of the brightness of the night a beautiful voice sounded, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:  to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”

I’m not sure when my cousin and my brother had come up beside me, but there they were when I opened my eyes finally.  We looked at each other in wonder. We are used to being ignored, and we like it that way.  Nobody expects much of us other than to keep watch night and day.  A heavenly messenger bringing astounding news about Bethlehem?  To a lowly set of men like us? That was almost more shocking than the angels themselves.  We were still blinking in puzzlement when a vast crowd of angels appeared and these words rang out in the night:

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

Peace. Peace and wonder, that’s what we felt, and as soon as the angels were gone, we went straight to Bethlehem to see for ourselves.