Reflections from Rev’d Brenda

A Roof Full of Angels – and Shadows in the Corners

Recently I visited some churches in East Anglia which had beautifully carved angels in the beams of the roof – as well as plenty of gruesome demons lurking in the darker corners.

These “angel roofs” served as a visual reminder of heaven, designed to inspire awe and wonder during worship. They also showcased the extraordinary skill of medieval carpenters and woodcarvers, as well as the wealth and devotion of the congregations who commissioned them.

Angels in Scripture and in Life

Angels are mentioned nearly 300 times in the Bible, appearing in both the Old and New Testaments.

  • It was an angel who rolled away the stone from Jesus’ tomb and told the two women who came to anoint him that he had risen from the dead.

  • An angel sent Philip to meet a senior Ethiopian oLicial.

  • An angel appeared in a dream to the Roman centurion Cornelius.

  • An angel miraculously freed Peter from prison. The New Testament book of Hebrews even reminds us:

“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2

Over the centuries, many Christians have shared personal experiences they can only explain as encounters with angels.

Facing Our Demons – Ancient and Modern

We might be tempted to dismiss demons as an outdated explanation for the unknown. Yet in the Bible, demons consistently:

  1. Cause self-destructive behaviour.

  2. Make the person feel trapped.

  3. Separate the person from family, friends, and community.

Today, the same patterns can be seen in the struggles of those battling mental illness, addictions, or habits that damage relationships. Whatever our “demons” may be, they leave us in need of healing – the kind of healing Jesus brought with an authority that astonished all who saw him.

Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love

St Paul writes in Romans:

“I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

The Dogs We Feed

There’s an old story about an Eskimo with two dogs – one white, one black. Every Saturday he raced them, and people would bet on which would win. Sometimes the white dog won, sometimes the black, but the Eskimo always knew the outcome.

When asked how, he replied:

“The one who wins is the one I feed during the week.”

Every day, we face an inner contest between our good impulses and our harmful ones. The one we feed will always be the one that wins.