Shepherds Wey Dey Keep Watch

One small fire dey crack. Sheep dey move for darkness. One shepherd pull im cloak tight and look di night well. E be like one thousand other nights. Until e no be like dem again.

No too far from di small town of Bethlehem wey people full, where dem just lay one baby inside manger, farms and rocky hills dey. Luke tell us say shepherds dey live for di field there. Dem be working people. Dia day and night belong to di sheep: to find grass and water, to carry di weak ones, to count dem as dem dey enter and comot. Dem no be priests or scholars or big officials. Dem dey smell of sheep and smoke. And for dis night, like every night, dem dey outside under di open sky.

Luke talk say dem dey keep watch over dia sheep for night. Dat one mean say dem dey take turn stay awake. Night dey dangerous for sheep. Wolves, jackals, even thieves fit creep near for darkness. So while some shepherds dey sleep small, dem wrap demselves with dia cloak near di fire, others siddon up, dey listen. Small stick wey break. Sheep wey cry because fear catch am. Maybe dem dey talk quietly so dat sleep no go carry dem, about di weather, about price for market, about di strangers wey dey enter Bethlehem for di emperor registration. Maybe dem just dey look di stars as dem dey turn slowly for sky.

And then, Luke write: And see, di angel of di Lord appear to dem, and di glory of di Lord shine round dem. For one moment, di night no dark again. Light wey big pass di fire swallow di fire light. E pour down and e cover everywhere around dem, di hillside, di sheep, dia face wey shock. And for di middle of am, one angel of di Lord stand. Di glory of di Lord for di Bible na di shining, heavy presence of God imself. Di same glory wey fill di tabernacle for di wilderness and di temple for Solomon time, now dey shine for top one field of sheep.

Luke next words dey honest. Fear catch dem well well. Dem tremble. Picture am. Shepherds wey get mind to face wild animals for darkness don fall flat for ground, dem dey cover dia eyes, dia heart dey beat fast. Di sheep scatter or dem stand still. Nobody know wetin dey happen. Why here? Why us? We be just shepherds. But na exactly di point be dat. Out of everybody for di land, di first announcement from heaven say di Saviour don born dey come to di people wey dey work night shift for one hillside.

Bethlehem get one famous shepherd for im past. King David grow up there, di last son of Jesse, and when di prophet Samuel come to anoint king, David dey outside dey look after di sheep. Later, David tell King Saul say e don protect im papa sheep from lion and bear. So shepherds wey dey keep watch for di hills near Bethlehem dey stand inside one long tradition, wey go reach back to di greatest king of Israel.

Di shepherds for di hillside dey Luke chapter two, verse eight and nine. Ordinary people wey dey do ordinary work, when di glory of God break enter. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. You think say God fit meet you for di middle of ordinary day, while you dey do your everyday work?