Angels among us

I thought that this was a really interesting article in NEWSWEEK.

How to Find an Angel
Debunking the myth of cherubs, wings and rosy cheeks.
By Rabbi Marc Gellman

The important part of an angel is the message, not the costume. In fact, the Hebrew word for angel is malach, which just means messenger. It does not mean winged messenger or harp-playing messenger. And that messenger can be, and usually is, an ordinary person who has no clue that he or she is on a mission from God. And, like the people, the messages God sends to us through people/angels are often quite ordinary...

In the iconic 1946 film "It's a Wonderful Life" by Frank Capra, George Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart, who was fresh from bomber duty in the Air Force during World War II, is saved from suicide by Clarence the angel. Clarence, played by Henry Travers, finds George freezing and desperate on a bridge and saves him. Then, as a bell rings on George's Christmas tree in the happy-ending scene, we know Clarence has earned his wings at last. Except for the wings and the bells, I wonder, how did Frank Capra know that this is exactly how angels work?