During the Christmas season, people tend to talk (and sing) more about the voices of angels. Whether it’s singing a carol (such as “Angels We Have Heard on High” or “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”) or complimenting an “angelic” choir, we imagine angels’ voices to be transcendently beautiful.

But what do you think our voices would sound like to angels?

Would they enjoy our voices? Would they appreciate our words? Would they understand us–no matter what language we speak?

Some people might imagine that angels can understand all languages, but let’s imagine for a moment that the opposite is true: they don’t understand any earthly language.

Let’s imagine that angels watch and listen to us from their clouds (or wherever they hang out), but they don’t understand our words. What they DO understand is our tone, our attitude, and the intention behind our words–in short, our energy.

It’s just like us watching/listening to a conversation in a foreign language. Even if we don’t understand a single word, we can usually gauge the essence of what’s being communicated: joy, anger, boredom, or love.

Whether or not you understand the language, can’t you can tell when people are being sincere or sarcastic, when they’re genuinely interested in two-way communication or when they just want to put someone in their place (or ram their opinions down their throat), or when they don’t want to be there at all–and are just waiting for the first opportunity to get away?

This doesn’t take any special training. After all, approximately 93% of communication is nonverbal (55% body language and 38% vocal tone, volume, etc.), and most of us pick up on the nonverbal cues without even trying–or even being consciously aware of them. But I think that there’s more to this than simply noticing someone’s crossed arms, rolled eyes, or a quick glance at their watch. I think that we all naturally sense one another’s energy.

Which brings us back to the angels…

Imagine that  as angels watch and listen to you, they can’t understand your words. Perhaps they don’t even hear you in the standard, human sense. They just sense the energy that you’re transmitting.

Energy is the language of angels!

Even if you’re saying trite words or nothing at all, they “hear” (or feel) when you’re sharing love. On the other hand, if you speak eloquently but with no energy–no real feeling behind your words–they wouldn’t hear a thing.

Let’s take our thought experiment a step further: Imagine that the angels also can’t see in the normal, human sense. They can’t detect physical movement–only the movement of energy.

Now, as I’m sure you realize, I’m not referring to energy in the mundane sense, such as burning calories. It’s certainly possible to use up a lot of this kind of energy without transmitting anything significant, without “speaking the language of the angels.”

For instance, someone running around frantically, rushing around in meaningless activity (or, at least, meaningless to them–the proverbial “sound and fury, signifying nothing”) looks to the angels as if they weren’t moving at all. On the other hand, a tiny movement that conveys a lot of energy would look like a huge movement to the angels, even if it seemed like nothing was happening from a typical human perspective.

So, what would these angels see and hear if they observed you?

• Would they feel the love behind your words?
• Would they sense the flow of positive energy in your actions?
• Or would it look like nothing much was happening, no matter how much you said and did?

Whether we think of this literally or metaphorically, it’s helpful to remind ourselves–especially during the holiday season–that we don’t have to move mountains (or throw elaborate parties or buy everyone extravagant gifts) to make the angels smile. Just remember how powerful even a few simple, sincere words can be. Or a small, loving gesture. Or a smile.

If the energy behind your words and actions is positive, that’s what ultimately matters. That’s what’s real.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! 🙂