Visiting with my parents this Christmas in Pennsylvania, my father showed me a boxed set of Max Lucado books he had picked up. I had read none of them but An Angel’s Story caught my eye and though I had other things to read, I thought I could easily breeze through its tiny 83 pages.
I was right. The story is easy to read and very quick. But its images are powerful and provoke considerable reason to think. We all know the Christmas story, whether we are Christians or not. We all know of Mary and Joseph and the wise men and the infant Jesus. But, have you ever wandered what went on in the Heavens that Christmas more than 2,000 years ago? Have you ever paused to wonder why Satan would allow this baby Jesus to be born? Did you ever think there might have been battles in the world beyond leading up to the birth of the Christ? Did you ever imagine that armed guards might have been tapped to accompany the seed of God to Nazareth?
In this most interesting imaginative re-creation, Lucado takes us into the Heavens to see what might have happened that Christmas. We see the devil himself in his great beautiful glory, but also as the dragon-like beast of our popular imagination. We confront temptation. We see mercy. We see what is possible with God’s help.
One is tempted to call this a “manly” reinterpretation of the Christmas story. There are flaming swords, battles in the heavens, heroic acts, a Book of Courage, but behind it all remains a divine mercy that does not cease. Highly recommended for next Christmas, but, be warned that you might never quite look upon your manger set the same way again. . . http://www.amazon.com/An-Angels-Story-ebook/dp/B003MQMZ2A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1356035621&sr=8-2&keywords=an+angel%27s+story
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