Shock in the night
Do I believe in angels! Course I do!
Tho’ you might be surprised at a gentleman of the fields like myself saying such a thing…
But then, you ‘aven’t heard my story yet…
It were many years ago, why I were just a lad out in the fields,
learning my shepherding trade,
It were a cold winter’s night and we were dozing on and off
Trying to keep a watch on the sheep and getting some shut-eye at the same time…
When out of the night sky came, well, came an angel,
Tho course we didn’t know it were an angel -
we thought it were a ghost, or a trick of the light, or … well, anything but an angel!
We were scared I can tell you, right scared,
Truth to tell, we were terrified.
The thing spoke:
“Don’t be afraid.”
Don’t be afraid! Don’t be afraid!
Well, I’ve told you about that already.
We just wanted the thing to go. Please just go away!
“I have some good news for you”.
Well, it better be very good news we thought. Very good news indeed.
“A Saviour has been born tonight in Bethlehem.”
Bethlehem… our little town down the road?
A Saviour who is going to be known as the Christ.
The Messiah! The Messiah in Bethlehem!
The angel began to fade away.
No, don’t go! Come back! We want to know more!
A heavenly choir
The angel faded into the night sky but simultaneously a load more appeared!
The sky was completely lit up with angels singing and rejoicing.
It was helluva noise. I mean it was a heavenly noise.
It was like a massive firework display, the Blackpool illuminations and a concert in the Albert Hall all at once!
I dunno how long it went on for… maybe 2 or 3 minutes, maybe 10 minutes…
And then the heavenly choir also began to fade away…
We were left with blackness…
And silence…
And some dumbfounded shepherds….
Old Sam broke the silence:
“Well, are we going, lads?”
“Going where, Sam?”
“To Bethlehem of course!”
© Jacqui A. Horton 2009