Article September 1, 2008 Issue

ANGELS BY ANY NAME

BY DOROTHY HOLMES

Have you entertained any angels recently? Some people think angels resemble Christmas tree ornaments, the kind with gauzy wings and a halo. Others think of angels as ethereal beings, some good and some bad.

I've learned to think of angels as God's thoughts, based on an explanation that Mary Baker Eddy gave in Science and Health, where she described them as "God's thoughts passing to man; spiritual intuitions, pure and perfect; the inspiration of goodness, purity, and immortality, counteracting all evil, sensuality, and mortality" (p. 581).

How can we recognize these thoughts from God? I find that sometimes they come from those intuitions deep within, and at other times they come as another's thoughtfulness or kindness. But whatever form they take, they always bring comfort, support, and encouragement. I have a lifetime full of examples.