The Bethlehem Shepherds’ Message of Hope for America This Christmas

It is an unfortunate truth this Christmas that, according to public polling, more Americans than ever before, and in particular young people, feel lonely, spiritually lost, and searching for meaning in a chaotic world. But the story of Christ’s birth and the angel of the Lord’s appearance to a group of shepherds is a reminder of where authentic hope and direction can always be found.

We don’t know much about the shepherds who occupy a central place in the Bible’s account of the birth of Jesus. The Book of Luke tells us that they were the first who heard the good news that “unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” They then came “with haste” to see Mary, Joseph, and Jesus before spreading word all around about what they had seen.

Dr. Richard Longenecker, an eminent Christian scholar and New Testament expert, has said that these shepherds were probably young men in their early 20s. “The younger shepherds usually took night shifts that required fewer farming skills but physical defense against possible threats,” he explained.

Moreover, we know from historical records that shepherds were far from the top of the social ladder – it was a humble occupation often reserved for those with no better prospects. The first people other than Mary and Joseph to see Jesus were thus likely poor, dirty, and uneducated.

Yet God chooses these men, not renowned religious scholars, kings, or the most respected members of society, to be the first evangelists. In all of the Gospel, there is perhaps no more powerful example of how Christ’s message is for everyone, and that the hope He brings is freely available to all who seek it.

We can’t know what many of those shepherds were feeling that night before they were suddenly surrounded by a heavenly host of angels singing, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to all those on whom his favor rests.”

But we can certainly imagine that many of them likely felt depressed, anxious, and dejected about their station in life. It must have appeared that there was no hope left for them before the birth of the Messiah changed everything.

Survey after survey tells us that this is the same situation facing many Americans today.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, roughly half of Americans are experiencing loneliness. Gallup polling has also shown that 29 percent of Americans say they have experienced depression at some point in their lives, up from 19 percent in 2015.

Survey data from the U.S. Census Bureau also shows that a full 49.9 percent of Americans aged 18-24 report symptoms of anxiety or depression, compared to 38 percent of those aged 25-49, 29.3 percent of those aged 50-64, and 20.1 percent of those 65 or older.

These numbers go hand-in-hand with a decline in religiosity and church attendance. Just 31 percent of Americans now regularly attend church, compared to 40 percent in 2012 and 44 percent in 2000. One-third of Gen Z now identifies as nonreligious, compared to 29 percent of Millennials, 22 percent of Gen X, and 18 percent of Boomers.

According to a survey and report released by the Barna Group earlier this year, “No generation endured greater spiritual turbulence than Generation Z during the pandemic.”

In the survey, young Americans admitted that they trusted God less than older generations, doubting that He was the creator of the human person and an omniscient and omnipotent ruler of the universe. Gen Z Americans also said they had less desire to go to church, they read the Bible less, and they confessed personal sins less than their parents and grandparents.

But despite these alarming trends, there is reason for optimism.

A Wall Street Journal story from April documents a “surprising surge of faith among young people,” noting, “About one-third of 18-to-25-year-olds say they believe—more than doubt—the existence of a higher power, up from about one-quarter in 2021.”

According to another Barna Group study published in February, there is “rising spiritual openness in America.” 77 percent of young Gen Z Americans believe in God or a higher power according to the study, with 88 percent believing that a supernatural dimension exists. 73 percent say they wish to grow spiritually.

Commenting on the results, Dr. David Kinnaman, Barna Group CEO, said that despite falling church attendance, “spiritual openness and curiosity are on the rise.” That desire to grow spiritually was visible in Gen Z especially, with American teenagers seeing in Jesus someone “who reminded them that one could live in a good and right way.”

“Teens remain refreshingly open to Jesus as an influence in their lives,” Kinnaman continued. “These young Americans in our study are open to different faiths, including Christianity, and they’re open to friends, causes, and ideas. We have an unprecedented opportunity to share our Christian faith with a world in need,” he concluded.

In Bethlehem, where lowly shepherds met the Messiah, their hope became vibrant, and they believed that their future would be brighter than ever before. The good news offered by the angels that night two thousand years ago still rings true today, and millions of Americans may now be ready to discover what the truth of the Gospel and the joy of Christ’s birth can offer for their lives as well.

Ben Solis is the pen name of an international affairs journalist, historian, and researcher.