ANGELS WITHOUT WINGS

Angels without wings?

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

Hebrews 13:2

I have always loved the idea of angels with wings. I have loved the paintings and sculptures of angels that fill the Christian world in art galleries, churches, cemeteries, public spaces and private homes through art books, Christmas cards, and more. Other religions have not been as keen on spreading angel images.

I was surprised when I learned that in the Bible angels are not winged beings, but appear to people as ordinary men. Angels do not have physical bodies, so they have no gender, but they appeared in male form in Biblical times in accordance with societal expectations.

Angels are defined by their mission on earth. They are messengers of God. When Gabriel visited Mary to announce the birth of Jesus, he entered her home, so writes the apostle Luke. Luke also writes that the angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, when the angel announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds. Lastly, Luke writes that after the death of Jesus on the cross, the women visiting his empty tomb encountered men in clothes that gleamed like lightning. No words about wings.

In brief, in Biblical accounts, angels walk and stand on the ground like people do. They did not have wings. They do not hover in the air like birds.

How does your own knowledge or experience fit with the idea of wingless angels?

I invite you to share your thoughts and feelings on this blog. I am most interested in your reaction.