Angels so prevalent in Christmas cards and decorations are messengers from a God who can often seem remote. As Margaret Atkins reminds us in her final reflection, it was an angelic messenger that brought news which closed the gap between God and his Creation for ever RECENTLY I watched the film Evan Almighty. It is perfect for a family evening over Christmas, to warm your hearts and reaffirm your ideals. The hero is an ambitious young congressman who is persuaded to pray for help with his mission to “change the world”. God responds. He tells him to build an ark, and then provides the materials to make it, along with the pairs of animals to fill it up. Theological purists might object: God is not an old man with a white beard. He is not even an old black man with a white beard