This picture was sent to me by a friend as part of an e-mail message. The figure is probably and angel ready to lead us up the stairs out of troubled waters into heaven. It made me think about angels. I think they are mentioned about 273 times in the Bible, so there has to be something to them. I usually picture them as a divine being with wings, flying around playing a harp. Usually we think of them as a chubby baby. The Bible doesn’t talk about the wings so I don’t know where that came from. The Bible even calls a couple of them by name, Michael and Gabriel. Michael is no baby, as a matter of fact he is frequently depicted in paintings with a sword. Michael is also known as the Patron Saint of Warriors. The best I can figure it; angels are messengers of God sent to earth to do his work.

I think I have known a few of them on earth and they are in the form of flesh and blood. If the folks I’m talking about are not angels, I suspect they will quickly gain that status upon entering heaven. I went to the funeral of one of those individuals this week. He was certainly no baby. He was an older, somewhat rotund gentleman who was a physician. To me he was what I perceive an angel to be. He was one of the most caring, kind and gentle people I have known. I never heard him complain. He didn’t have an arrogant bone in his body, which is exceptionally rare for a doctor. He always had a smile and his patients and coworkers loved him. The only hint of a complaint I ever heard from him was about the new praise music in church. He loved to sing and preferred the old songs sung with hymnals in hand. He was a traditionalist as far as the church service goes and I believe he was frustrated with the way they have deteriorated into rock and roll concerts. Perhaps that is one of the reasons he was called home a few years early.

My college roommate who became a public school band director was one of the other flesh and blood angels I have known. He was a quiet, calm individual who did only good for the kids he taught, the folks in his church and for all those with whom in came in contact. He didn’t seek material things and certainly gave more in life than he received.

So, I think angels take various forms here on earth and are sent to do God’s work and may be messengers. I can name a few more folks who might fit my description but unfortunately most of them are not ministers. I can think of no other doctors who fit the bill, other than for the one I have described. I’m sure there must be other angels among ministers and doctors. I must admit that my experience is limited because I have only met several thousand doctors and ministers out of the multitude who are out there. There are certainly no angels among thieves, politicians and others in that trade.

On the porch, I have encountered many angels in the books I read, so I suspect they are even more common than the 273 times mentioned in the Bible.