Michael Francis Tuman

The Good Shepherds Michael Francis Tuman

While working the Midnight shift 12AM until 8AM as a police officer in Chicago on Christmas eve I would often fancy myself one of the shepherds watching over the flocks, of citizens. Aside from the dispatchers breaking the radio silence with their possible sightings of Santa Clause things were usually quiet. I had the same feelings when I was deployed overseas. One of my most vivid recollections of the Army was in Haiti Christmas 1994. I was standing on the back of a HMMWV Humvee, Hummer singing Christmas carols with the local children of Les Cayes. They knew all the words to "Angels We Have Heard On High", "Les Anges dans Nos Campagnes" in French. That Christmas Eve, surrounded by the children, I felt a power in the air. Again, I felt like a shepherd watching over the flocks. So, as a kid I wanted to fight evil. I wanted to be some sort of super hero. I wanted to be a leader and protector. I had the pleasure of being better than any superhero. I was a soldier and police officer. Being a Soldier gave me the opportunity to be a leader and being a Police officer allowed me to protect. Neither profession is on the celebrity list like Superman, Wonder Woman or Batman would be. So, I wondered who on Christmas Eve would have been the closest persons to become unlikely heroes. It was the Shepherds. They are the only ones on that night to whom the Angel of the Lord appeared. They were the only ones who saw the heavenly host. Other than witnessing the existence of the Christ Child did God have another mission in mind for them?This is the story of what may have happened as the shepherds returned to the flocks. The story is not meant to be a prophecy. I did not do any in depth study of the scripture to prove a thesis. It is merely me putting the imagination on paper. I still have the romanticism of a 13-year-old. Please accept this short Christmas Combat Story.
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