WHEN CLARENCE GOT HIS ANGEL WINGS

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

The movie It’s A Wonderful Life has become a Christmas holiday classic since it first aired on television over forty years ago. Frank Capra’s 1946 touching story of George Bailey (played by Jimmy Stewart) and his search for significance as he wonders how the world would be better if he never been born. But the heart-felt story has a secondary plot line---that of Clarence Odbody (played by Henry Travers), the bungling apprentice guardian angel and his quest for wings. In the end, George Bailey finds himself and Clarence the angel earns his wings.

Angels are spoken of throughout the scriptures, mentioned 273 times in thirty-four books of the Bible; 108 times in the Old Testament and 165 times in the New, although, interestingly their role in each reference seems somewhat incidental. The church through the centuries has swung from a preoccupation with angels bordering from a worshipful veneration (Colossians 2:18) to a casual ignorance of their role and function.

The study of angels is called angelology; they are supernaturally created spirit beings (Psalm 104:4; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:7), whose massive number is known only to the Creator (Job 38:7; Psalm 68:17; Hebrews 12:22). Angels are also eternal, meaning that they cannot die (Luke 20:36), possessing vast knowledge, but are not omniscient like God.

The subject of angels is often misunderstood. One such misunderstanding is that of guardian angels. Some believe that every born-again believer has at least one guardian angel based on a couple of scriptures which seems to allude to these special creatures' watch over believers (Matthew 18:10; Hebrews 1:14). However, Clarence Odbody notwithstanding, theologically, the Bible does not specifically tell us that each believer has a guardian angel. It’s A Wonderful Life is a great movie, but not exactly theologically correct.  Think about it.