Imagine if angelic beings went to school to learn to become guardian angels. They would probably have a lot of questions about the strange things that humans do on earth. They would need to study humans closely and learn the best ways to lead them into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.
Chapter 7
The Office
Chaz walked through the door of the main office determined to leave the academy. The walls of the room were lined with paints of famous angel encounters with humans.
Chaz looked around for just a moment when a voice came from behind the desk just inside the door of the room. Sitting behind a desk was an older-looking angel with glasses. “Can I help you?” she asked.
“Yes,” said Chaz. “I would like to submit my request to unenroll from the academy.”
The angel behind the desk paused and looked Chaz over. “Already? Very well. Just complete this form and turn it back into me before you leave.”
Chaz picked up a clipboard with the form on it and a feather pen with blue ink. He took a seat in a chair near the door where he walked in.
Chaz wrote his name at the top of the paper and began reading through the questions.
How many lessons have you completed as a student at Angel Academy?
Sadly, Chaz wrote:
Zero
What made you decide to leave the academy?
Chaz thought for a moment then wrote:
The humans know what is good and evil yet they disobey God. I can’t help them. It’s impossible. Let the other angels try. They are better suited for this anyway.
Chaz looked back at his dark wings. They were so different from the other angels in his class whose wings were bright white. Just another reason why he didn’t belong here.
As he looked back, however, he saw a painting of an archangel with wings of many colors. They weren’t white like the other angels. They had color like his. The angel’s arms were cross and he was kneeling before a woman whose arms were also crossed seeming to be in prayer.
“Who is that?” Chaz asked.
“Excuse me?” said the angel behind the desk.
“Who is this angel in the painting? And the woman?” asked Chaz.
She looked up over the rims of her glasses. “That painting? Oh, that is the Archangel Gabriel and the queen.” She immediately went back to work on something on her desk.
Chaz continued staring at the painting. “What is he saying? What is happening?”
“She’s saying ‘yes,'” said the secretary continuing with her work. .
“Yes to what?” asked Chaz.
The secretary set down her pen and looked at Chaz. “Don’t you know? Its from your first lesson here at the academy. Haven’t you learned this already?”
“I haven’t finished the first lesson yet,” he said.
“You mean you haven’t heard the Archangel Gabriel tell his story?” she said.
“What do you mean?” asked Chaz.
“I mean he is talking to the new students right now. He’s the guest lecturer,” she said.
“Oh,” said Chaz looking back at the painting. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to go hear what he has to say.”
“You better hurry or you will miss him,” she said.
“Right. Thanks!” Chaz handed the clipboard back to the secretary and turned towards the door.
Standing in the doorway was the face of a familiar angel.
“Hi Chaz,” Sim said to him.
Chapter 8
The Guest Speaker
“What are you doing here?” asked Chaz.
“I couldn’t just let you leave. We haven’t even finished our first lesson,” she said.
“But you’re missing it right now. Aren’t you worried you will fall behind?” asked Chaz.
Sim was still clutching her notebook and pen. “Yes, but I thought it was more important to have you there with me. I just couldn’t bear to see that empty seat next to me.”
“Sim, I don’t know if I can do this. I mean, I’m not like the other angels,” he said.
“Well God sent you here for a reason. We might as well find out why,” said Sim.
“There is one more story I want to hear. There’s a guest speaker in our class. I just saw a painting of him. The secretary called him Gabriel.”
Sim’s jaw dropped. “The Archangel Gabriel! In our class? Are you kidding me? Let’s go!”
Sim grabbed Chaz’s hand and flew them both quickly back to their classroom. As they approached the door, Chaz saw the angel from the painting standing in the front of the class. Then he saw Barachiel standing just inside the door.
Chaz saw a warm smile come over his teacher’s face. “Come in and have a seat,” he said.
Sim stared unblinking at Gabriel as she took her seat. Chaz caught himself staring, too, as he looked at the archangel’s dark wings.
“Sorry we’re late,” said Chaz snapping out of it.
The archangel nodded his head and handed them both scrolls. On the scroll Chaz could see a painting similar to the one he just saw in the office. Only this one was in motion like a movie. The real Gabriel in the front of the room narrated what they saw.
“As I was saying,” he continued. “The Lord God sent me to the Virgin Mary with an important announcement.”
“Hail favored one,” said the archangel in the scroll. “The Lord is with you.”
Mary in the scroll looked confused by the greeting. The archangel Gabriel continued to narrate, “She was afraid so I comforted her. She had nothing to fear because she is favored by God. He chose her to bear his Son, Jesus.”
“How can this be?” said the Mary in the scroll.
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy; he will be called Son of God,” said the archangel in the scroll.
Chaz looked up and the Archangel Gabriel was looking at him. “Do you have a question young angel?”
“It’s just that,” Chaz trailed off thinking about the day. There was something about this scene that felt so familiar. “This is just like the Garden of Eden, isn’t it?”
“Explain,” said Barachiel from the side of the room.
“Well, just like Satan appeared to Eve; you appeared to Mary,” said Chaz.
“In the temptation we saw earlier, Eve disobeyed God. She couldn’t resist the temptation and neither could her husband, Adam. They knew better, but they disobeyed him anyway.”
“Yes, very true,” said Gabriel.
“And the child we saw earlier. She couldn’t resist the temptation of the dessert. She knew it was wrong, but she did it anyway,” explained Chaz.
“What are you trying to say?” asked the teacher.
“What was missing?” asked Chaz. “What is different about this story? What is going to help Mary do the right thing? I thought it would be impossible for the humans to choose to do good.”
“Nothing is impossible with God,” said the Archangel Gabriel. “The Lord was with the Virgin Mary. It was the Lord’s grace that helped Mary say yes.
The scene on the scroll continued. “Here I am, the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word,” said the Virgin Mary.
“Class,” said Barachiel. “You have now uncovered the most important lesson you will learn here at the Angel Academy.”
“It is the grace of God that helps the humans to choose good. God makes all things possible. Your goal as guardians, therefore, is to constantly lead them to the Lord.”
“But won’t the Lord be angry with them when they make mistakes?” asked Sim.
Gabriel responded, “Yes, of course God can be angry, but he is also merciful. No human is doomed. Salvation is possible for them all.”
“But how?” asked Chaz.
“Because of the Son, of course,” said Gabriel with a smile.
“Class, please give our guest speaker a round of applause,” said Barachiel. “He has many other things to attend to.”
The archangel bowed and waved to the students then made his way out the door.
“Class, we have one more trip to make before our lesson is through. If you will follow me, we have two people I want you to meet.”
“Who?” asked Chaz.
“Why, Adam and Eve, of course,” said Barachiel.
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