To many, Christmas is the season of angels, and I’m not referring to Clarence Odbody, George Bailey’s fictional guardian angel (Second Class) in the perennial holiday favorite It’s a Wonderful Life.
During Advent and Christmas we remember Gabriel’s historic appearances to Zechariah (Luke 1:11-20) and, of course, Mary (Luke 1:26-38), as well as the angel’s message to Joseph (Matthew 1:20). Then there is the angel who appeared to the shepherds (Luke 2:9-14) announcing Jesus’ birth. And finally, we remember the angel who appeared to Joseph again in a dream, warning him of Herod’s intent to kill his newborn son and advising him to escape with the family to Egypt.
To read of angels in the Scriptures is to be reminded of the unseen world, that God and His Kingdom are confined to neither human dimension nor rational logic. I find such references to be heartening and faith-affirming.
But do angels still move about at God’s pleasure here on earth?
I do not fully understand how, but I believe they most certainly do. After all, it was the apostle Paul who reminded us that we may sometimes “entertain angels unaware” (Hebrews 13:2). Indeed, it can be a rather incredible thing to fully comprehend this reality. To think that at this very moment angels might be acting on our behalf is, by human standards, rather fantastical, don’t you think?
Introducing this reality to our children in terms they can understand is sometimes challenging, which is why I want to let you know about a new and fun DVD series for children that I’ve recently become acquainted with. It’s titled “Little Angels” and has been created and produced by Roma Downey (of Touched by an Angel fame). As promoted:
LITTLE ANGELS is an animated DVD series created exclusively for preschool-aged children to teach not only practical learning skills, like ABCs and 1,2,3s, but also to introduce them to the spiritual, moral and ethical principles of the Bible.
“Our goal in creating this,” Downey told Focus on the Family, “was to inspire children and remind them that God loves them. He is watching over them, day and night. To accomplish this, I felt called to spread the word and shine the light of my faith through this animated series.”
The Irish-born Downey, who is married to television producer Mark Burnett (Survivor), is herself a mother. No stranger to the usual Hollywood fare, she deliberately set out to create a sweet, gentle and redeeming alternative, which she has successfully done. If you’d like to pick up a copy, please click here to visit our bookstore.
Incidentally, I’m delighted to share with you that Little Angels is written by Phil Lollar, a former Focus team member and Adventures in Odyssey writer.
It is a good thing when a Hollywood notable devotes his or her time to a project that helps lift up the eyes of children to biblical truth. In creating Little Angels, Ms. Downey is also providing a service to parents. That’s because in a world that puts limitations on God’s power, the reminder, to quote John Page’s letter to Thomas Jefferson, “that an angel rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm” is not only very comforting – but also very true.
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