I live a strange and beautiful life. Someone sent me a state of an angel without identifying themselves or offering any comment or explanation.

Why I wonder, would anyone do that?

What is the point of this angel? What is the message for me?

I suspect my writing on the blog inspired this gift after I bought my little blue Rescue Angel for $5 to keep it from going to the dump. And posted her picture.

I’m told this is a representation of Archangel Micheal, the leader of the angels.

Why is my new angel without clothes? The many images of Michael online show him tall and proud,  with long hair, wearing beautiful robes?

This angel is simple, pure. The Michael of the Bibles is different; he treads on dragons, carries banners, scales, and swords. I suppose if there is a God, and Michael is his warrior, then he would be created in this unadorned and straightforward way.

The advantage of being me is that there are many thousands of people out there who know more things than I know, and they can reach me. This gift was another case where advice was both sought and appreciated.

My closest spiritual counselor is probably my friend Sue Silverstein, an angel herself and a teacher and Theology Teacher at Bishop Maginn High School. She is perhaps the most religious person I know and one of the most thoughtful.

Sue is what I call a True Christian, in that she doesn’t talk about doing good, or tell other people how to live, or seek political power, she does good, in every way that she can.

I listen to people like her.

But I  also have a lot of spiritual people who read my blog, and several checked in with me right away after I posted a photo of this new and unexpected angel in my life.

The first was Nancy, who wrote, “I think your new angel is St. Michael the Archangel.” I asked her why, and she responded: “he is the most popular angel around.”

Sue was less specific (she is quite humble), but she said her instinct was also that it was the archangel, Michael.

All of the people who messaged me agreed that the angel was Michael, no one disagreed or suggested he might be any other angel.

My new and somewhat different angel is the Archangel Michael, not just any angel, but a warrior angel, God’s favorite angel, the ur-angel,  leader of all the angels in almost every faith there is.

I went to work online, of course and sorted through some of my religious books, I’m a long-time reader about Christianity.

Michael was seen as a protector of the Jews, a rare position in ancient times.

He was so beloved by Jews that the idea of him being their advocate became so prevalent that in spite of rabbinical prohibitions against worshipping angels as intermediaries between God and his people, Michael occupies a special place in Jewish liturgy.

He is not just any angel, but the angel of angels. In the New Testament, Michael leads God’s armies against Satan’s forces in the Book of Revelation, where during the great war in heaven, he defeats Satan, once an angel himself.

He is considered the guardian of the Catholic Church.

Catholic sanctuaries and monuments to Michael first appeared in the 4th century, when he was described mostly as a healing angel. Over time, he was viewed as the leader of the Army OFf Good against the forces of evil.

Michael is an archangel in Judaism, Christianity, the Oriental and Eastern Orthodox Church, and Islam. He has many names; he is variously called Saint Michael the Archangel, Saint Michael, Saint Michael the Taxiarch, or simply Archangel Michael.

He is a big deal, the leader of all the angels.

But why is the statue naked, when the representations of him usually put him in beautiful breastplates and clothes? And why is he here? Nobody could answer that. And I have no idea.

Is it because I was born Jewish? Or that I believe in angels? Sue says that angels come for a reason, even if it isn’t clear or evident to human beings.

Michael is mentioned three times in the Hebrew Bible. The prophet Daniel describes a vision in which God identifies Michael as the protector of Israel. Daniel says that Michael will rise during the “time of the end.”

Gulp. I trust that’s not why Michael is here, if he is, in fact, Michael.

In the New Testament, Michael tosses Satan out of heaven and throws him to earth along with the other fallen angels where he – “that ancient serpent called the devil” – keeps on trying to lead human beings astray.

So this is all fascinating. It’s gotten into my head, for sure. But I still don’t know that this is Michael, I don’t understand why he is naked (several people wrote to suggest he is a gay symbol), I don’t know why some anonymous person sent this statue to me, or what he might mean for me.

I wonder why I care so much. I don’t accept most of the gifts people send me; I find people to give them to, there is little room for them in our home.

I believe everything is a gift, and there are messages and lessons in everything, including how I react to new things and symbols.

I’ve gotten this far. Michael is a Protecting Angel; he does good and fights evil. He has either come to protect me or, more likely, to encourage me to protect other people.

But Sue is right. We don’t know what we don’t know, and this is as far as I can go.

I don’t even know if any of this is real.

But if so, he will reveal his purpose to me.

And I will be only too happy to share it.