As part of a fascinating talk about the waves of spirituality, I learned more about Clarence. He is the angel who lifted George Bailey out of despair when he lost a bank deposit. The movie, It's a Wonderful Life, is widely enjoyed by millions of people each Christmas season. 

It was not always that way. The film came out in 1946, in what the director described as an effort to push back against atheism. But society was not ready for such a spiritual message. It was a flop. Only when it came out of copyright and was somewhat randomly aired thirty years later, did it become an instant classic. 

This intrigues me. The script went through no revisions. It was the audience whose position on angels swiveled. 

The world is somewhat fickle, when it comes to spiritual ideas. Other shows that had their heyday in the seventies were Touched By an Angel, Highway to Heaven, and Ghost. Another was Field of Dreams, which explores what happens when a man listens to that whispering voice from above. 

As I write this, I have a quilt in my lap. For the first time in months, there is a chill in the room. This is not because the sky is broken. Seasons are woven deeply into the Divine Design for reasons I will never completely comprehend. But I can cooperate with them. 

If I have a friend who is nowhere ready to listen to a message of hope, that may not mean that either the listener or storyteller are wrong. It could be worth waiting until they are.