12 Days of Advent in Art: #10 Witnesses of Joy

"While Shepherds Watched," 15 x 24 original watercolor

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:
and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not:
​for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people.
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another,
Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph,
and the babe lying in a manger.
And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

Luke 2:8-17

I am amazed at the shepherds. I love that this joyous announcement came first to caregivers---those who were humbly watching over their charges in the middle of the night. It reminds me of young mothers, up feeding and caring for babies through the night. It also reminds me of teachers -- underpaid and often under appreciated, who work long hours in service to others. I love that heaven smiled upon these lowly servants. I love seeing their their humanity (they were sore afraid) and that they were reassured by an angel. Again, this makes me think of the many human angels who have reassured me in times of trouble and stress. Finally, I love their courage. I love that they show us that witnessing and sharing joy is active, not passive. They decide to act now, they run to see, and they tell everyone they can reach about the joy they have seen and felt.