Observation: The prophet Daniel, an Israelite in exile in Babylon, receives a vision from a man clothed in linen, wearing a golden belt, with eyes like flaming fire and legs like burnished bronze. It's no accident that, centuries later, John of Patmos meets a man with that exact description, who reveals himself to be the Risen Jesus. To Daniel, this man reveals a word of comfort. He has nothing to fear. His prayers have been answered, and he is going to receive a message about the end times. The vision revealed to Daniel is of clashing kingdoms and arrogant kings who raise themselves above any ruler, or even above God. But at the right time, Michael, an angel of the Lord, will rise up. The dead will rise, and those who are wise will "shine like the brightness of the sky." Through all the chaos and suffering, God is in control.
Application: Today is the only "saint day" I know of which celebrates one who is not human. It is the festival of Saint Michael and all angels. Michael is known as a protector of God's people. Most angels are simply tasked with relaying messages from God, but in the few times we encounter Michael, he is one who actively fights against evil on our behalf.
It's a beautiful thought, to believe that God's power is manifest in real, palpable spiritual forces who fight in our defense. It's a helpful way of envisioning God's care for us. But also, I have to admit, I have to wonder where Michael has been, or why he has chosen to sit on the sidelines, at a time like this. Today, we have officially passed one million global deaths to COVID-19. It certainly feels like the "time of anguish" Daniel foresaw, and yet we do not see bright angels taking up fortifications just yet. At a time like this, I wonder if God's angels are here among us, less as burly soldiers bearing flaming swords, but more as a whisper deep within our hearts, with the same words that came to Daniel: "Greatly beloved, pay attention. Do not fear. your words have been heard." Maybe those angels are the "better angels of our nature" that Abraham Lincoln described in his first inaugural address. The angels who gently (and maybe less gently at times) steer us in the direction of love and unity, of placing others' interests before our own, to grieve with the grieving, to hold out hope for those just beginning their journey, and to do the next right thing, in our own lives, today, that together across the world will defend them from evil as well as any archangel ever could.
Prayer: God, thank you for the protection of your angels. Into your hands, today, I commend myself: my body, my soul, and all that is mine. May your holy angel protect me and guide my thoughts today, so that the wicked foe would have no power over me. Amen.
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