
The Annunciation to the Shepherds, Abraham Bloemaert, 1600.
I cannot image what it must have been like to sit outside in the dark with little to no fire on a cold night watching and defending a herd of sheep all night.

Annunciation to the Shepherds, Abraham Hondius, 1663.
What must it have been like to witness the sudden appearance of the angel Gabriel amidst that dark and lonely landscape?

Thomas Cole, The Angel Appearing to the Shepherds, 1833–34.
How would I react to the message given to me by an angel? …Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Book of Luke, Chapter 2 (NLT).

The Annunciation of the Shepherds, 2000, Edward Knippers.
I can understand the reaction of the shepherds: fear; it seems to be a recurring reaction to an encounter with an angel’s sudden appearance.

Seeing Shepherds, 2011, Daniel Bonnell.
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” I cannot image what it must have been like to witness this sight the shepherds experienced. I believe the artist Daniel Bonnell has done a wonderful job visualizing the scene.

Shepherds Abiding in the Fields, by Carl Heinrich Bloch.
15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” I find it amazing that the shepherds were able to gather themselves together and follow the direction of the angel. I guess they became the first pilgrims and the first missionaries seeking to understand what they had been told by a otherworldly messenger.

Govert Teunisz Flinck, Angels Announcing the Birth of Christ to the Shepherds, 1639.
I hope that I would have the faith and persistence to follow what a heavenly messenger summoned me to do. I know that I would have the fear part down with an encounter like this. But in reflection, I realize that I daily experience Christ through His word, His followers and His creation. He sends many encounters my way, but am I alert and watchful enough to be aware and take notice, or do I ignore or live in fear? I pray that I can be more alert, watchful and willing to follow and obey what God places in front of me daily; whether it’s Christmas, a dark Judean field or somewhere in the midst of Ohio, I hope to be found faithful.