Blue Angels

Why have a time reflecting upon Blue Angels when we are all gearing up for a wonderful #partytime?

Well, for some, Christmas is a time when anniversaries appear on our calendar, when we notice that empty chair at the dinner table, when there isn’t a present for so and so…because they died this year. It’s so tragic.

The TV fires adverts at us which say we must enjoy ourselves when, sadly, inside us we are struggling with what 2021 has brought. It wasn’t our fault, it’s just that some things have built up and it can be crushing us. We’d invite us to rest a while. Here we will consider the idea of a Guardian Angel, whether there is some of these looking after you and your loved ones. We will show you a clip of a film, speak about some of the trauma that might be building within us, invite us to light a candle if we wish to signify that link to the past, and then consider how important and loved we are, that we are really loved.

Angels?

Angels, seemingly surround us today. As we may be struggling we called this Blue Angels. Here they are looking at their own reflection.

The concept of guardian angels permeated throughout the ancient world. Angels are shown to be guardians for both individual kings and even entire nations. Some have described these as forces as “Powers and Principalities“. The one thing which is certain is that they come from God, they seem to surround God and also are with us, they seem to come to people, to bring news, to bring support at a time of need.

Can we name any Angels? 

There is Michael (“Who Is Like God?”); Gabriel (“God Is my Strength.”); Raphael (“It Is God who Heals.”); and Uriel (“God Is my light.”) and many more who are named. There are female Angels but they are often given male pronouns and hence we believe that all are male. Does it really matter?

We may have sought to speak with our loved ones in this past year. One thing which we are certain is that we can remember them so fondly. We are not seeking to break that bond with them but to remember that we loved them so much. Perhaps we may wish to light a candle to make that sign to ourselves that yes our love is that strong.

Angles are often seen as Messengers. They bring Mary and Joseph the good news in the Christmas Story. The Angel was also noted in every Nativity Play and contrary to the Village of Dibley adaptation, to say : Be not afraid. 

In all of our journey this year, there have been times when fear has stalked but the Angel is still saying Be not afraid. But what of those times of silence? Of the absence, the empty chair. We are told that grief is something we must get over. I disagree.

Grief

Grief, we may have been told, is a passage a journey from left to right. We may notice Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance – it appears to be like train carriages, all in some order, when in reality it is a bit of a mess really.  The phases of grief seem to pop up when we never expect, they may appear again and again. Our times of crying never seem to stop and people may tell us to “pull our socks up”, but they are already up.

We are dealing with our grief, in our own way, in a normal way.

Grief is more like a waterfall where the water spins around, spinning us around. We might go under quite a few times and still, some time from the trauma, we might re-enter that turbulent water flow again. Our emotions are also in turmoil – and this is normal. This is how we are built – we aren’t meant to follow a textbook, we are full of emotions.

Why doesn’t it go away?

Our grief is of a size that befits the love we had for another. Why should it diminish over time? Our love for them hasn’t.

So what might change?

We can. We may allow ourselves to get bigger – not due to over enjoying chocolate 😉 – but emotionally, and it might take some time, but we can do this. As we cry, as we process our grief, we may become larger emotionally, albeit our grief itself doesn’t change in size. Again why should it, we loved them.

May I invite you to watch a short clip from a film called Collateral Beauty. There’s a chap who has lost his 6 year old daughter and he’s heavily grieving. His workmates feel it might a good idea, as a way of helping him, to employ some actors. One of them, here, is playing the character love.

I’m in all of it, the darkness and the light” says love. Here I’d hear that from God. Often we might feel that in this dark times we are totally alone, but I believe that God is with us always. You might wish to replay the film clip and see if we might hear God speaking with us.

What about Ourselves?

Often as we grieve we may forget about ourselves. That we are loved. Here, we might listen to a song called
I am Amazing.

I wonder what you might want to write on your chalkboard?

We may feel embarrassed but we all could write something positive about ourselves. How we have been so strong in recent months, helping others perhaps. How our love hasn’t faltered. That’s amazing isn’t it?

God walks with us

The Angel represents a sign that God is on your side, even in those darkest times. Grief comes in many forms and never in the same order as someone else. We have a hole which can’t be filled, and why should it – they were special.

What we can do, is over time, know that we are loved, that we are accepted for who we are, and we may grow to surround that hole.  The Angel reminds us that God walks with us: we may speak with God, be in dialogue. It also reminds us I hope that we, the churches here in Pollokshaws are also with you: walking alongside, willing to listen, being available.