Bass,

Had trouble with my server yesterday so I don't know if this got to you. It's a Christmas Eve drama that I wrote several years ago. I offer it for anyone who needs an idea or help in a hectic time.

Gene Cline

Oak Harbor UMC
Oak Harbor, Ohio

Witness
to
Wonder

The Shepherds

They’re gone now. The hillside. The sky. They all look the same, just as if nothing had happened. But things aren’t the same. Not all. Things will never be the same again… Thank goodness!!!

I didn’t know what was happening at first. It was really quite frightening.

We were sitting there on the hillside, Timothy and I. The night was no different than any other night. The sky was an emerald black and glimmered with shiny stars, like a King’s jeweled robe. Gosh, it was beautiful!

At first I thought it was just the glow of a falling star. It is an inspiring sight to see one as you sit on your night watch. Why they light up the night sky with their pure white light, and then vanish as quickly as they appear. So I gave it no immediate thought when that first light appeared. I couldn’t turn to view it because I was busy tending to a little lamb that had gotten caught in the thicket. That was OK. I had seen falling stars before.

Finally the little lamb was free, and I sent her scurrying back to the flock. All of a sudden Timothy started yelling. I thought, "Here we go again. Another one of Timothy’s false alarms." I can’t tell you how many times he has cried out about wolves or thieves attacking the sheep and there has been absolutely nothing. Is it any wonder that no one has anything to do with him? He has annoyed everyone. So I get stuck with him tonight.

We don’t talk. No one talks to Timothy. When we travel to new pastures, Timothy has to pack for all the herdsman. When we need drinking water, why that’s Timothy’s job. He does all the heavy work. I never felt sorry for him. He’s brought it on himself with this incessant yelling and all these false alarms. I have nothing to do with him. He stays on his ridge, and I stay on mine. That’s the way I like it. When will he learn he can’t keep waking everyone up?
So I grabbed a rock. I was going to heave it his way.

I picked up the rock. I cocked my arm. I turned to throw. And that’s when it hit me.
The brightest, the most intense light I had ever seen, literally knocked me to the ground. This was no shooting star!!!
Slowly I gathered myself, and rose to my feet. I felt the presence of others, and turning to my left, why there was Nathaniel and Philip, and on my right were Joshiah, Abraham, and Benjamin. All of the herdsmen stood with me on the hillside. We were frightened. We thought it was the end of the world.

The light diminished very so slightly, and we could finally see the outline of angels. Their beauty was breath taking. We huddled together in fear, wondering what would happen next. Then suddenly they began to speak saying, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Then they were gone.

Huddled together on that hillside, we wondered what we should do. Finally Benjamin, our leader, said we should see if these angels were right. After all he said we know where to look and what to look for. If it really is the Messiah, it will be as the angels said. So off we ran.

Suddenly Philip, shouted, "But who will watch the sheep?" And we said in one united voice, "Timothy." So we left him behind, standing on his ridge.

We ran like the wind.

Then I heard Benjamin shout, "Go to where the great light shines." Looking up as I ran, I saw the brightest star I had ever seen in my life. My heart began to race for it’s light seemed to rest upon a small stable behind the inn. It was like it was guiding us.

But no, this can’t be so I thought. Though we were nearing where this star’s light rested, there were no other people coming, just us. Why the heavenly light we saw was so bright, surely others had seen it. The heavenly voice was so clear, so strong; surely others had heard the angel’s words. Yet we were the only ones out in the night. We were the only people stirring.

Finally we were there. Out of breath, Benjamin had us stop outside the stable door. The door was cracked so slightly. A dim light from a lantern glimmered through it’s opening. Slowly Benjamin stepped up to this door, and peered through the crack. Then I saw it. In ways it was a smile, in ways it was the look of awe and astonishment, but it enveloped Benjamin’s face. With this wonderful expression on his face, Benjamin looked back at us, gestured us to with his hand to come forward, and said, "Let us go see, for it is just as the angel said." And my heart raced.

The couple gathered round the manger appeared a little astonished by our appearance, but only a little. With out stretched hand, the man signaled for us to come forward.

It was just as the angel had said. There in the manger filled with straw was the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes.
In his soft gentle voiced, Benjamin told the mother and father all about the angels’ appearance and all that they had said to us. I would have expected them to be shocked, but they weren’t. They smiled and nodded their heads. We all fell to our knees. This was he. This was God’s son, our Messiah.

Our Messiah!!!! Yet something was wrong. Something was oh so wrong. Something was terribly wrong. I could feel it in my bones.

Quickly and as quietly as I could I rose and ran out of the stable. I ran faster than the wind, but never lost my breath. I finally reached the ridge. I gave him no chance to speak or to wonder, I simply grabbed his hand. We ran. We ran like lightning streaking across the sky as we hurried back to the stable.

Arriving there, we stopped. Timothy looked bewildered. I reached down for his hand and grabbed it. Side by side we walked into the stable, Timothy and I. The rest of the herdsmen were sitting on the floor, quietly talking to the young child’s parents. Benjamin saw us first, and he smiled. The herdsman looked up and the room became silent. Still Benjamin motioned us to come forward. The straw bristled as we walked.

Gently we sat down upon the straw, Timothy and I. I was seated by the mother, still with the infant in her arms. So we sat beside his mother,. Everyone else looked up, and they all smiled.

Then it happened. As we were retelling the story of the angel’s appearance, she rose. I thought for certain she was going to place the baby back in the manger to sleep. BUT SHE DIDN’T. Gently with great care, and the look of love shining from her eyes, she placed the baby in Timothy’s arms. His mother placed the baby Messiah in Timothy’s arms.

It was only then that we understood. Yes we finally understood.

That is why things are not the same. That is why the world will never be the same. Love has come for those who need love. Ordinary life is now redeemed and made new. For people that the world casts off and neglects, God announces his remembrance and his coming for them. God has come for Timothy. God has come for all of us.

(Pause)

There are moments now when I want to climb the ridge and venture back to Bethlehem and see the Christ child again. But I won’t. For the truth is I don’t need return. I’ll just go over there and be with Timothy and the other herdsmen. Our differences are behind us now. Each time I see all of us working together, supporting each other, I am in the presence of the Christ Child. Love has indeed come, and it is Emmanuel, God with us.