At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish . . . But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book.  Daniel 12:1

AS winter approaches, the sky is darker and darker when I get up every morning. Usually, many stars shine brightly in the predawn, giving me something to enjoy and praise God for even as I shiver in the rural cold.  But for a week recently, cloud cover hid the stars from view. I resented this especially because I wanted to see the pretty conjunction of the waning moon and the planet Mercury. Then I realized that whether or not I could see it, the great drama of the night sky would still go on. I don’t have to see it to know it is happening.

Today’s reading from Daniel seeks to reassure a persecuted people by reminding them — and us — of the truth that whether or not we can see it, a great drama is going on that is every bit as real as the stars in the sky. The archangel Michael is described as “the protector of [God’s] people.” Because of this reality, we can rest assured that God’s story is being played out, seen or unseen. Whether we realize it or not, God is at work.