The Shepherds: Community leaders of faith

While the innkeeper in the Christmas story operated at human capacity and didn't rely on the infinite
abilities of God, the shepherds offer a sharp contrast of how to respond when God interrupts a day-to-day life with the presence of His glory:

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

 “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them (Luke 2:8-20).

The Scripture doesn't record any outlandish unbelief from the shepherds. No shepherd is recorded as running in fear from this divine military gathering of the armies of God, and the shepherds don't obnoxiously demand a full explanation from the angels. (Of course, that could be because the heavenly host are not the type of entities you push around!)

In essence, the shepherds' reaction reflects an emerging faith. At that moment, they were living out the words of Paul, which would come decades later: "We walk by faith and not by sight." True, the shepherds saw the hosts of heaven surrounding the glory of God. But they had to trust that the baby with Mary and Joseph was the Christ the angels described. The shepherds accepted the angel's words by faith and shared them.

 Every day at Dallas Leadership Foundation we interact with faithful community leaders who have been our longtime partners, or meet new leaders who share insights about their communities. What a joy it is to partner with them! They are like the shepherds of ancient times who tenderly cared for their lambs. Community leaders look out for their neighbors. They give voice to their concerns.

We learn so much about Dallas and the assistance people need when we collaborate with community leaders. One of our chief projects together is the Treasures of Hope Christmas Store. Community leaders refer families to us who they know could use a little extra help this Christmas. Because of these compassionate community leaders, DLF operates more effectively, more accessibly, and more faithfully to the call of God!

The doors of the Treasures of Hope Christmas Store open today. About 600 families are expected this week at the store and about 1,800 children will be served.  If you want to partner with us, it's not too late to donate toys through our online store at dlftx.org.