Karen Romano Young - Angels Are Everywhere. What They Are, Where They Come From, and What They Do

ANGELS

ARE EVERYWHERE

WHAT THEY ARE, WHERE THEY
COME FROM, AND WHAT THEY DO

WHAT THEY ARE, WHERE THEY
COME FROM, AND WHAT THEY DO

BY KAREN ROMANO YOUNG

ILLUSTRATED BY
NATHAN HALE

For Mom

If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as unsold and destroyed to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this stripped book.

ALADDIN

An imprint of Simon & Schuster Childrens Publishing Division

First Aladdin paperback edition October 2009

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www.simonandschuster.com

Text copyright 2009 by Karen Romano Young

Illustrations copyright 2009 by Nathan Hale

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The text of this book was set in Adobe Garamond.

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Control Number 2008943448

ISBN 978-1-4169-6447-6

ISBN 978-1-4169-9768-9 (eBook)

FOREWORD:
DO YOU BELIEVE IN ANGELS?
MOST PEOPLE DO

CHAPTER ONE:
ANGEL LORE
HOW DO WE KNOW ABOUT ANGELS?

CHAPTER TWO:
WHERE TO FIND ANGELS
WHOS WHO IN HEAVEN, EARTH, AND HELL?

CHAPTER THREE:
WHAT ANGELS DO
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF AN ANGEL?

CHAPTER FOUR:
FALLEN ANGELS
WHAT HAPPENS TO BAD ANGELS?

CHAPTER FIVE:
LOOK! AN ANGEL!
WOULD YOU KNOW AN ANGEL IF YOU MET ONE?

CHAPTER SIX:
ANGELS IN YOUR LIFE
HOW CAN YOU CONNECT WITH YOUR ANGEL?

ANGELS

ARE EVERYWHERE

WHAT THEY ARE, WHERE THEY
COME FROM, AND WHAT THEY DO

MOST PEOPLE DO.

Halo there. If you answered YES to the question above, youre not alone. And thats just one reason that this is a tricky book to write.

1. Seventy-five percent of Americans answered YES when asked if they believed in angels, as reported in a 2007 Gallup Poll. An extra 11 percent thought there might be angels; they werent sure. So you have to be really careful what you say about angels.

2. Most people know what angels are and what they do. Many people can name and describe angels. Some people even remember meeting angels. But nobody can summon an angel to stand up, show itself, and say here I am, and there is no other way to prove the existence of angels. Discussions of things outside physical experience can annoy people or make them shut down. So you have to be really careful what you say.

3. For many people, angels are a matter of faith, something they believe in without having any proof. Discussions of faith and personal spirituality can easily offend people. So you have to be really careful.

4. Angels are part of the stories that form the most holy books of many different religions. They are also part of stories associated with religions but not considered to be part of the holy books. Discussions of religions and their outlook on the world can make people angry or make them debate with you. So you have to be

But if the archangel now, perilous, from behind the stars took even one step down toward us: our own heart, beating higher and higher, would beat us to death. Who are you?Rainer Maria Rilke, Duino Elegies: 2

I have to be honest. I probably cant be careful enough for some people. I dont know what parts of this book are true by many definitions of the word true. I just know that angelologythe study of angelsis one of the most fantastic things Ive ever come across. The stories are glorious, the art is heavenly, and the ideas of what angels can bethe link between heaven and Earth, heaven and hell, the living and the dead, humans and Godare truly WONDERFUL. And many, many people of different religions (or no religion at all) believe in angels.

So Im going to tell you what Ive found out. And youre going to take it with a grain of salt, because usually when something is considered true or possible by 86 percent of Americans, theres all kinds of proof. Well, with angels, there just isnt.

If youll excuse the expression, I dont want to fly in the face of facts or faith.

This book is about what we think we know about angels, and why we think we know it, and what it means about us that we think it.

Its also about how believing in something beautiful, mysterious, kind, fierce, and loving changes people. And that is my favorite thing about it. All kinds of people now and in the pastand probably in the future, toohave had their lives changed for the better by angels.

Youll find that this book is full of questions. The answers are always what someone says. The only facts involve who gave the answer, and where, and when. The different experts are historians, theologians, scribes, storytellers, angelologists, and people who claim to have seen or met angels. Whats the real answer? Thats up to you to decide. Nobody knows for sure, except the angels.

HOW DO WE KNOW ABOUT ANGELS?

Where do we get our ideas about angels? From stories, and from histories. From books that are sacred (written or dictated by God), possibly sacred, and not sacred.

For a long, long time, people kept track of their histories and stories by word of mouth. These oral traditions (stories told anytime two or more people were together) became part of the books that form the centers of the big four Western religions: Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam.

MAJOR MESSAGE: Each of the holy books of the big four Western religions includes stories in which angels were sent by God to humans. These are the start of peoples understanding of what angels do. But it isnt necessarily the start of angels, which may have roots in folklore, traditions, and stories that came before the holy books.

The holy book stories told of beings that traveled by flying. How would you describe something youd never seen before, without comparing it to something elsea bird, a kite, a plane, a spaceship? Which comparison would be most appropriate? Lots of people who have studied the idea of angels think that their image came not just from the holy books, but from stories that were told in different cultures.

The scriptures are works believed to definitely have been written by God (through an angel), or by writers who were directed by God. (This kind of writer is called a prophet.) Some other books were written by people who might have been angels or prophets, or might not. These books are called