Signs

December 13, 2017

“I saw it on the internet, so it must be true.” We all know how that works. Every post, just like every news broadcast or newspaper article, has a slant. The days of objective journalism are over, if indeed, they ever existed. Years ago I read about a Russian and an American who were discussing the difference between Western news services and Tass, the official news arm of the former Soviet Union. The Russian commented, “The only difference between our newspapers is that we know they are lying to us.” 

It behooves us all to sift through things ourselves, and to maintain at least a somewhat skeptical view of whichever news source we choose. Detective Jack Friday used to urge those he was interviewing to state “the facts, ma’am; just the facts.” It’s not easy. Even “facts” are suspect these days. Mark Twain used to say, “There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.” 

With that in mind, I share something I recently picked up on the internet. It might be true, or it might be the imagination of a preacher, but the story if true, answers a question that has nagged me for decades. In Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus, the angels are recorded as having told the shepherds that they would find the Christ Child in Bethlehem, and that the sign that this was the Messiah would be that they would find him wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.

I suppose this could be understood to be somewhat of a litmus test; any baby they came across who wasn’t wrapped and lying in a manger couldn’t be the right one. But why this as a sign? Here’s where it might or might not be true, but if it is, it makes sense. These shepherds weren’t just ordinary shepherds; they were tending the sheep that would be used in the daily sacrifices. Such sheep were required to be without blemish, so when it was time for lambing, the shepherds would bring the ewes into the caves that served as their barns, so they would be protected from the elements. When born, the lambs were wrapped in swaddling cloths to protect them from blemish. So the shepherds were directed to this particular cave where the Lamb of God was born. They would have made the connection between the swaddling of their sacrificial lambs and the swaddling of Jesus, the Lamb of God who was to be sacrificed to take away the sins of the world. The swaddling was an unmistakable sign of the Promised One.

So often we want signs that God is hearing us, but we miss the signs that already surround us, like “Inasmuch as you have done it to the least of these, you have done it unto me.” I don’t know if this story is true, but it makes me think of the many signs I am continually given to point me to Jesus. I am thankful for them, and for the nightly reminder to keep a sharp eye peeled for them. I don’t want to miss noticing when and where he is working.