My apologies for the delays in getting more regular posts up here at TDD. The holiday festivities have compounded what has become an increasingly busy schedule these days.
I wanted to share a tragically all-too-frequent experience that I had on Christmas Eve. Jean and I took our kids downtown here in Indianapolis to attend a Christmas Eve with our extended family. It was a combined service between the Indy Metro Church and the City Community Church held at the historic Athenaeum theater. Nathan LaGrange, one of the pastors from City Community, gave an excellent message on the importance of promoting Christ over ourselves. (I've linked to some of Nathan's stuff in the past, from back when he was still at Lakeview Church.) It was a great service.
After the service, we all drove over to Brother Doug and Natalie's house for an evening of great food, going caroling, delivering totes of food to some of their neighbors in that lower income neighborhood, and rounding off the evening with an impromptu talent show from Caleb, Andrew, and their cousins, Hanna and Ella. In so many ways it was the perfect Christmas Eve.
And yet, it wasn't for all of us. For in the midst of the time together, there was a knock at the front door. A young boy I'll call Ryan was standing out on the porch in the cold. We invited him in, and then Doug talked to him and found that his father, in a fit of drunkenness, choked the boy, beat him up, and kicked him out of the house. On Christmas Eve of all times...
We gave Ryan some food, and then Doug went out with him to try to find his grandmother--to no avail, as we found out later when they returned. Apparently, they also went to three of the local bars looking for his mother and didn't find her either. So, as has so often been the case over the years at Crane gatherings, we simply adopted Ryan into the family for the evening.
The gravity of Ryan's situation struck me, especially as I was sitting watching all of the kids singing and dancing to the Christmas carols. I couldn't help but think, "This is what Christmas is supposed to be like!" And then I'd glance over at Ryan, sitting quietly on the couch, and realize that "peace on earth, goodwill toward men" is a pleasant, if not-always-realistic, ideal. Sadly, the real world is not something out of a Norman Rockwell painting. The thought actually brought tears to my eyes.
The tendency when witnessing such tragedy is to develop a growing cynicism, as if the ideal is not possible, and therefore, should not be pursued. And yet, I was heartened to see Doug and Natalie do what they have so often done, provide a safe haven for those in need. I was also glad to see that Ryan knew that there was a place to go. And I was happy that we were able to be there to help him in a moment of real crisis.
The events of this year's Christmas Eve served as a good reminder of how we need to be ever-vigilant for opportunities to reach out to the "Ryan's" in our world. Not every Christmas is the kind of "silent night, holy night" that we sing about in Christmas carols. And yet, it is through Jesus Christ that we can offer an oasis and genuine hope for those people whose holiday experiences may not mirror our own. That is, after all, what Christmas is truly all about! A belated Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to all. 
UPDATE: I meant to share the rest of the story of what happened to Ryan. After we left, Doug and he went over to his grandmother's house to leave a note. The police showed up and talked to them. Ryan told them what had happened, and that he didn't want to go back to his house. So, they took him with them and put him some protective custody arrangement for the time being. None of ust heard what happened after that. So, if you're inclined to pray, you might think about Ryan and his situation and pray for him.
Thanks for the update... I sat down yesterday and was catching up on some blog/website reading. I was wondering what had happened with 'Ryan' and am glad to hear the Crane family was able to help him. Thanks!
Posted by: Michelle Hepburn | January 03, 2010 at 06:09 PM