A Christmas Parable

There was a time when all the angels where gathered about the heavenly throne for a discussion.  Cherubims and seraphims and the like.  It was a beautiful setting and everyone got along quite well.  But things were kind of a mess down on earth.
   
God started out by asking, "Have you noticed what's going on down there?"  One angel said, "Yeah ... things are really heating up in Africa again."  Another said, "And they're still fighting in the Holy Land." Yet another, "And there is famine in several places."  The observations went on for quite a while.  "Someone was murdered in the city."  "A homeless person died hungry on the streets."  "Many of the children are not faring too well, either."

God started complaining.  "You know, I've tried everything I can think of.  I have spoken to them some of the most beautiful words they could ever hear.  Weren't the Psalms pretty good?  'The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims God's handiwork.  The laws of the Lord are perfect and revive the soul.  Sweeter are they than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.'  Wasn't that pretty good?"

"I really like it," said one cherubim.  "It's beautiful," said a seraphim.  

"And I thought I put some pretty poetic passages in Isaiah.  How about that one about turning swords into plowshares?  They like that stuff, don't they?"  God kept going on, which kind of surprised the angels. "Then I sent them other prophets, who promised them release from their sufferings and freedom from exile.  And how about what I told Amos:  'I despise your feasts and burnt offerings.  I just want justice to roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.'  I got pretty straightforward with them, didn't I?"

"Well, we sure think you did!" said a chorus of angels.  There was widespread discussion among them about all that God had done and said.  A few of them, Gabriel, Micheal and others, had actually been to earth on many occasions.  They had seen for themselves the sources of God's lament.

Through teary eyes, God said, "I think the only thing left to do, is for one of you to go down to earth and live with them for a while, and gently, but firmly communicate to them the great gap between how they were created and how they are living.  You need to reveal to them who and what I created them to be."

The angels stood around in silence.  Some had been to earth to deliver messages from God, or to effect some momentary intervention in human affairs.  But they were not about to volunteer for long-term duty in such a difficult place.

The silence seemed to last for an eternity.  Finally, God broke the silence, and said, "Then I will go."