A Christmas Story, Chapter 5, James Briscoe

The following is Chapter 5 of A Christmas Story by Mike Furches. You can see the preceding prologue and Chapters in the archives or links section of this page. This story is copyrighted by Mike Furches and intent to publish in book form in 2015. This is the variation prior to final edit prior to publication.

CHAPTER 5

JAMES BRISCOE

By Mike Furches

2 Years Earlier

James loved fried chicken, while KFC was his favorite it was rare that he got to eat it because of its cost. When the family wanted chicken or he had enough money to buy something for his brothers and sister, it was usually Church's Chicken. It was pretty good and a lot cheaper than KFC. Despite the rarity of eating KFC, here he was, standing in line on a Wednesday night to order 4 KFC Chicken Fried Steak specials and to get an 8 piece bucket. With the coupon he had he could get everything for less than a $20 bill.  

This was a typical night, his mother Jeanette had not been home for a week. She had issues with drugs, crack and meth especially and for all practical purposes, she was seldom at home and when she was at home there were more problems than not. James knew he was responsible for raising his brothers and sister. He never knew who his father was and it was likely that each of his siblings had a different father. His mother Jeanette at one time had been a very attractive woman. She was tall with milk chocolate colored skin. She was in good shape, not from exercise unless you counted walking the streets exercise but it was from her natural genetics. That made it easier for her to turn tricks as a prostitute so she could buy her drugs. Since James had turned 12, (he was 14 now) her appearance had gone down hill. Her hair was thinning and her teeth had deteriorated. As a result, she didn't smile as much and her income from prostitution had gone down drastically which meant she had to do even more dehumanizing things.

James had two younger brothers, Charlie, was 10 and of average build for his age. Buddy had just turned 9 and was a little heavy for his age, he wasn't fat per say, but he clearly wasn't an athlete by definition or appearance. While the other boys took joy in playing outside, Buddy was content to play video games. Then there was James sister Barb, an unexpected come along who had recently turned 5. James was pretty certain that Barb's birth father was a white man because of the her abnormally light skin. She looked more like a Mexican or Italian than she did black and outside of the summer months, she looked more Caucasian. This didn't matter to the boys, despite some of the strange looks they got at times. James had been questioned as to why the boys were hanging around this white girl when going to a restaurant or play ground with his siblings. His friends in Turley and his distant family later realized and understood that despite the actions of his mother, James had done a good job with his brothers and sister.

There were times in the past when his grandparents were there to help raise the children. They died in a car accident shortly after Barb was born but they had already instilled the values on the importance of family to James.

James' grandparents took James and the other children to church when they were younger and prior to their death. It was clear to James that church was important to his grandparents but he had experienced and felt a sense of hypocrisy regarding the church after the were killed on their way back from visiting family in Dallas. James couldn't forget the looks and stares of the church members when they brought food and so called well wishes to the house after the funeral. They would stare at his mother, knowing what she did and James still recalled the whispers. He had heard of how the church was to love, he even saw that example in his grandparents but it didn't take long before he realized after his grandparents death, that the church and the people in the it would conveniently disappear from the life of the Briscoe's when they needed them the most. It was when James needed the help from the church the most that he was judged by many of those in the church or, as he later said, he was judged for the actions of his mother. It was so easy to look down on someone while at the same time ignoring the needs of the innocents, especially, the children.

Many of those around James thought his mother was taking care of the children but shortly after the death of his grandparent his mother became more absent from the home, leaving James at a very young age to care for his siblings. James had tried to make friends in the community with those who were decent kids, staying out of trouble but most of them due to the needs of he and his brothers and sister stayed away. It was the friends who were used to taking advantage of others due to their own needs that James started hanging around. They would come to the house which was small and dingy to camp out and escape their own home situations. At least James had access to his moms food stamps and kept food in the house. The family also had state assistance due to the 4 children all of which were minors. James had learned to balance what they had, making sure that not only would there be a couch for his friends to sleep on, there would be something in the fridge to eat. In all of this though, James still took the time to look after his brothers and sister.

It was almost a year later when James started to be influenced to some extent by his friends. He had resorted to shoplifting a few times to make up for things the family needed. As his friends spent more time at his house, eating the food, drinking the milk, using the laundry services, and so forth, there was less for his brothers and sister. James supplemented the needs of his family and his friends had shown him how easy that was to do. After awhile, James confidence grew to the point that he had moved from shoplifting to doing simple breaking and entering robberies to get items that he could sell at local pawn shops or on craigslist to get extra money. He took on this aspect of theft especially during birthdays and Christmas. He seldom used the money from selling the items for anything he wanted outside of an occasional CD but  he didn't want Charlie, Buddy or Barb to go without due to the actions of their mother. The church and family that were so quick to judge had ways they could help, if nothing else by putting them in touch with the local Salvation Army and other groups, but James was convinced that those individuals and church had better things to do for them. He would think they didn't have time for families like his.

James had been recruited by some of the gangs in the area but he was smart enough to stay away from them. He had good friends who were a part of the gangs but as much as they offered a since of family to him, he knew he had flesh and blood family to care for, even if they were his half brothers and sister. While James saw a since of family among his friends in the gangs, he also saw an opportunity for prison and in some cases, death.

James had an issue with drugs, he had seen first hand what they had done to his mother Jeanette. He had tried to smoke but didn't like it and never got into drinking alcohol. He stayed as far away from those aspects of life as he could. He didn't want to sell drugs and he certainly didn't want to use them. For all practical purposes, James was a good kid in a bad environment. He was doing the best he could considering the circumstances he lived in. Of course he also knew those looking in made lots of assumptions, assumptions largely not true based not just on his condition, but his race.

James had seen racism all around him. There were churches that were primarily black or primarily white. North of the Greenwood District in Tulsa was still segregated. Most of the blacks lived up through Greenwood and Turley and most of the whites to the South, into Broken Arrow. There were small communities that were predominantly Caucasian that had been established around the ranching cowboy days in the area, communities like Owasso and Collinsville but as close as they were in proximity, they were a world apart in an understanding of each others culture.

James had seen the church culture around Northeast Oklahoma and Tulsa in particular. Tulsa was after all known as the "Charismania Capital of the World" with Oral Roberts University, Rhema Bible Institute and the teachings of churches like Higher Dimensions and The Christian Victory Center. These churches seemed to be integrated but were filled with people believing in the concepts of being healthy and wealthy. James knew some folks who went to these churches and while they had great programs, they were always soliciting money and seldom if ever actually doing ministry in the areas they reached out to, especially the areas predominantly black. It was convenient and easy to send busses to pick people up but they had never taken the time to get to know the needs of the communities. They didn't know or understand why people became upset when their streets always seemed to be the last to be fixed or when there was a snow or ice storm, why, once again, their community was the last to be served.

There were some predominantly black churches that had done some good things to help their communities, they were rare and James had never been invited to them or knew anyone at those churches, he was too busy caring for his brothers and sister and trying to make it on his own. As a result of his extra curricular activities in life, James was able to go to school at Booker T. Washington but he wasn't doing well as he could have. He didn't time to go to the study groups and other activities at school which would have helped him. While there was help available to meet his needs, he was justifiably afraid. He knew that if he and his family were found out then Family Services would break up the family and they would be separated. James figured it was best to just endure and get by. While he had the potential to do better than just get by, he had little knowledge and no one to help him get to that place or to keep his family together if he did get the help.

As life for James moved on he became more callused at the situations surrounding his on life. The only thing he was sold out to was his brothers and sister. He would do all he could to provide for them and give them as good a life as humanly possible. For others around him whether it be various adult influences that included family, the church and later on, his friends whom he had seen take advantage of him, James became more callused and was going through life giving the appearance to most, that he just didn't care, of course, that was during the public times when others saw him, privately, it was clear, James cared for his family and wanted more for them. He was like many others in his community though, a child raising children. There was a time when parents took care of their children, that moved to a time when grandparents would take care of them. The time was coming, and for many, already here when children were the ones caring for other children, unfortunately for many, losing the opportunity to experience childhood for themselves. James fit into the later category.

This was all two years earlier, while missing out on much of his childhood, he had done the best he could at being a provider, mother, and father for his brothers and sister. On this day,  James lay on his cot at the Juvenile Detention Center thinking about Charlie, Buddy and Barb. He wondered, what would happen as he awaited the trial for the crimes he had just been arrested for.

 The Virtual Pew and our other work is supported solely by the kind contributions of others. You can click on the donate button below to give any amount to this work that does so much more than just post articles on the net; I draw no ongoing salary from the church I pastor, Mosaic Wichita which is predominantly a homeless church; I am grateful for any small amount you can contribute to help with this ministry.  Believe me there is much more going on than most realize. I will also provide information to verify the ministry and income that comes into this ministry and work.  Thanks and feel free to share any material from The Virtual Pew, I only ask that appropriate credit is given and a link to the original site with the materials provided.

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A Christmas Story, Chapter 4, In His Steps

The following is Chapter 4 of A Christmas Story by Mike Furches. You can see the preceding prologue and Chapters in the archives or links section of this page. This story is copyrighted by Mike Furches and intent to publish in book form in 2015. This is the variation prior to final edit prior to publication.

CHAPTER 4

IN HIS STEPS

By Mike Furches

 

Several months passed before and the Hamm’s hadn't heard anything from Detective Hay or the Owasso Police Department. From discussions with Detective Hay the Hamm’s understood this was typical. Unfortunately, lost or stolen goods where seldom recovered. There was hope though with the robbery occurring when it did that there would be a for recovery, or at the least, partial recovery of the items and the thief or thief’s  getting caught.

Turley was a small community just to north Tulsa. In the early 1900’s Tulsa was home to the largest race riot in United States History. A part of Tulsa known as the Greenwood District or The Black Wall Street was burnt to the ground and over 300 people were killed. To the southwest of Owasso was Turley, a small predominantly African American Community with a vast difference between the levels of living between the two. Owasso was an upper middle class community and predominately white while Turley is a lower income community. Separating the communities is Highway 75 and once crossing the highway it is fairly evident at the two differing neighborhoods and the environments the residents live in.

Detective Hay as was the case for most crimes committed in the Owasso City limits had filed reports with the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Department and the City of Tulsa Police Department. It was not unusual that criminals crossed city limits to commit their crimes in the hopes of making it more difficult to get caught. Turley was small enough that the Tulsa Sheriff’s and Tulsa Police Department provided the bulk of protection. 

It was during the middle of February when Detective Hay received a phone call from the Tulsa Sheriff’s Department. On the other end of the line was Sergeant Jackson. Sergeant Jackson was a large black man, in his mid thirties, standing six feet one and weighing 200 pounds. He was a local man who had been a football star when in high school at Booker T. Washington and went on to play college football at Oklahoma State University. He took joy in serving the North Tulsa community because he realized it gave him the opportunity to be a good example to the young black men and women in the neighborhood looking for a way out of poverty. While there was still a significant number of impoverished homes in the area, they had seen an upswing of better jobs and home improvements in the area. Sergeant Jackson was involved in his church which had helped see to the redevelopment of the area. He had a deep voice that reminded one of a preacher they might see on one of the local television stations on any given night. He was a deeply religious man who loved his church but also loved giving back to his community.

“Detective Hay please?”  Sergeant Jackson asked when calling the Owasso station.

“Just one moment please”  The receptionist said in a pleasant voice.

A few moments later, “Detective Hay here.”  Detective Hay said.

“Hey Bob.  This is Mike Jackson with the Sheriffs department here in Tulsa.”

“Hey Mike, how you been doing haven’t seen or talked you in a while, I guess it's been since our churches did that pastor exchange a few months ago. What was that February during Black History Month?” Detective Hay asked in an obvious good mood talking to one of his friends in the faith whom he occasionally  worked with.

“Yea,  I guess it has been since then. We definitely need to get together more often.”  Sergeant Jackson said while at the same time in good spirits.

“Well lets make plans to go fishing next week up at Lake Oolagah. I’ll load the boat up and you can meet me here at the house around 5:00 in the morning. How about it? I am ready for a mess of crape.” Detective Hay asked.

“Sounds great. I’m off then and maybe we can have some luck with the stripped bass this time, you know I like catching those big ones as well." Sergeant Jackson changed his tone to a more serious one at this point, "Now to why I called you. Do you remember that robbery at Christmas with one of the families from your church?” Sergeant Jackson asked.

“Yea do you have something on it?” Detective Hay asked.

Sergeant Jackson responded, “You bet. We think we have at least one of the guys.  Possibly the only guy. I saw a kid driving a motorcycle that fit the description of the one stolen today and pursued him. He took off through a field near Turley and ended up wrecking the motorcycle after I pursued him for a little while. He ran into a fence while he was looking back.  Anyway, he destroyed the bike and tore up his leg some. He is doing fine, he had a few stitches and is down at Juvie right now. We’ve been trying to contact a parent but can’t find them. A typical story of a young man without any type of positive parental influence. Anyway, he is a young black man, 15 years old with a history of theft and gang problems. Anyway the serial numbers on the bike matched the one that was stolen. Unfortunately, the bike is destroyed. I doubt if it is salvageable except for a few parts here and there. We conducted a search of his parents house under reasonable suspicion. We also found a few things from the robbery but assume most everything else had been sold. Believe it or not though the kid, James Brisco, confessed to the theft. Is going to go before the judge on this one and may even end up doing some type of time likely also the fines and restitution that goes with it since it was at Christmas and got some press.”

“You’re kidding?” Detective Hay asked jumping in.

“Oh no I’m not.” Sergeant  Jackson responded. “The judge here gets pretty ticked when some one flees an officer in pursuit, that on top of everything else, with the confession will do him in. No one here forgot about the theft, especially it being at Christmas and all. Anyway the judge indicated some time back through the prosecutors office that he wanted us to pursue this one quite seriously. We don’t know what he can to do with the restrictions on juvenile offenses and all. I know you guys get as tired of all of the serious Juvies getting off as much as we do but the judge is considering pursuing this one as a habitual Juvenile offender which could keep him locked up for at least 3 years, possibly 5.”

“Well I guess you need the Hays’ to come down and identify the recovered property to make it stick don’t you?” Detective Hay asked, already knowing the answer.

“You bet, especially if they want any of their possessions back and the chance to see this kid get his due for this crime.” Sergeant Jackson stated.

Hesitating a moment and taking a sigh of relief Detective Hay responded, “Give me a couple of hours and I’ll have Charlie and Tayra right down.”

“Sounds great, will see you in a couple, I’ve got to finish the paperwork on this one anyway. About the time I get through will be about the time you arrive, maybe a few minuets early. If I’m not in the briefing room I’ll be at the second floor break room, just bring the Hay’s on up.”

“Will do, see you after while” Detective Hay said as he hung up the phone and reached for his rolodex in the same motion. 

After finding the number and making the call Detective Hay started, “Hey Charlie,  I hate to bother you but you need to get in touch with Tayra right away and have her meet you at your house. I’ll be by to pick you up within the next thirty minuets. You’ll never guess what kind of news I have for you…”

*****

James Brisco was a young man who looked no older than his fifteen years of age. His mannerisms were the only thing about him that had him seeming older. His eyes where cold and almost as dark as his skin. He had a medium to dark chocolate complexion and while he acted and looked like a tough kid it was evident by his youthful features that he was a young man.  James was a little less than six feet tall but had a slender, yet, muscular build. He didn't look like a body builder but more like a long distance runner, weighing around 160 pounds. He had short cropped hair, shaved on the sides and around the lower half of the hair line. It was short  and manicured, looking very nice and well kept. 

James Brisco took pride in how he looked. With the exception of the tear in his pants leg where he had wrecked the motorcycle his pants where long and baggy and obviously a designer line. His jeans matched the brand of his shirt. Both were neatly pressed and Brisco, as he preferred to be called had obviously taken pride and the time in his personal hygiene. He also wore his Jordan shoes with ankle socks. Even though he had just received a few stitches he strutted when walking. He exhibited pride and confidence in his every move.

Charlie and Tayra made a positive identification of the motorcycle and the few stolen goods recovered. Detective Hay took them back behind the one way glass to view him prior to being placed in lock down. It was unusual to let a victim view the perpetrator prior to sentencing  but one allowed at times due to the unusual circumstance of a crime. It was allowed here though due to the department catering to the request of one of their own from another department, Detective Hay.

Charlie and Tayra spoke a lot with each other after leaving the jail, most all of it centered around what would happen to James Brisco. Why was he so hard and confident? Why was it so important to him to look good in hid appearance and dress? It was obvious from what Detective Hay said that he didn't come from a family with money. For all practical purposes he didn’t have a family as Charlie and Tayra had known, certainly not one that seemed to care about him. 

As Detective Hay drove them home he brought up the thought that carried some weight in the decisions The Hamm's would make over the next weeks. “You know I just can’t figure it out myself.” Detective Hay stated with some concern, “I find myself in conflict with my faith all the time. I mean I really appreciate the move in the department to where my job is much safer for me but also to the point where there is not as much conflict with my faith, but sometimes it is hard. I mean just think about it, here I am working with the two of you and your kids and I want to see everything done right by you, but I am also now working with this kid who has never had much of a chance. Have the two of you been by Turley before?” Detective Hay asked.

“Not lately.” Charlie answered. “Why do you ask?”

“Well to look at this Brisco kid you would think he was well to do, but in reality he lives in this little shack with 2 younger brothers and a younger sister about 1 block off of 66^th Street and Lewis. I drove by there before I came to get the two of you to try and get a read on the kid. I knew it would take a few minuets for the two of you to get home so I got the address from Sergeant Jackson and drove by. Well this kid apparently from what I was told has pretty much been raising his younger brothers and sister by himself. Anyway it’s just tough sometimes.”  Detective Hay responded with concern.

Tayra jumped in the conversation, “It seems like you would get used to it though Bob.  What makes it so difficult?”

“Do you remember that book by Charles Sheldon called ‘In His Steps?” Detective Hay asked.

Both Charlie and Tayra shook their heads yes but didn't saying anything.

“Well you know there is a question in the book which makes me think. You know the one where you are supposed to ask yourself, ‘What would Jesus do?’, like those bracelets that are so popular. Well, you see a kid who has obviously done wrong and you know the family has also likely done wrong. Well what do you do with that question about what would Jesus do? Really think about it, ‘What would Jesus do in this case?” Detective Hay just shook his head for a few seconds after asking this question again. Not so much as a point of reference for Charlie and Tayra to think about but something he was thinking himself.

As Detective Hay started to get on Highway 244 and go towards Owasso Charlie spoke up, using Detective Hay’s first name, “Bob, would you mind going ahead and going north on Highway 75 and showing us where the Brisco kid lives?” Tayra shook her head in affirmation of Charlie’s  question. “I think the both of us would like to see where this kid lives as well.”

“Sure no problem.” Detective Hay answered.

Charlie and Tayra were surprised at how small the house was. It was a white frame house in desperate need of painting. It was clearly less than 800 square feet. There was a garage to the side of the house used for storage and a fence around the yard which clearly indicated, ‘Keep Out’. In the front yard was a lot of toys for the brothers and sister. The house had bed sheets hanging from the two front windows for curtains and it was clear the windows needed replacing due to either being broken. The sheets were blowing in and out due to the wind. This was a neighborhood Charlie and Tayra would not have felt safe in except for the security and sanctuary of the police car they where riding in.  

Tayra asked while looking at the toys as they drove by. “What will happen to the children Bob, the two little brothers and the sister?”

“Right now we are trying to locate the parents or relatives. If we get in touch with them and they want them, then depending on the conditions of their homes and the lives they live, they may or may not get custody. Until then they will go into foster care, probably separated from each other. It all depends on a lot of different things though. It is my guess that James was raising them by himself the best he could, so they’ll more than likely end up in foster care.”

Charlie and Tayra just shook their heads in shock while at the same time thinking of the earlier question Detective Hay had asked of himself, “What would Jesus do?”.

 The Virtual Pew and our other work is supported solely by the kind contributions of others. You can click on the donate button below to give any amount to this work that does so much more than just post articles on the net; I draw no ongoing salary from the church I pastor, Mosaic Wichita which is predominantly a homeless church; I am grateful for any small amount you can contribute to help with this ministry.  Believe me there is much more going on than most realize. I will also provide information to verify the ministry and income that comes into this ministry and work.  Thanks and feel free to share any material from The Virtual Pew, I only ask that appropriate credit is given and a link to the original site with the materials provided.

Click here to read about, and order the book, The Keystone Kid 


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A Christmas Story, Chapter 3, Robbed

The following is Chapter 3 of A Christmas Story by Mike Furches.  You can see the preceding prologue and Chapters in the archives or links section of this page. This story is copyrighted by Mike Furches and intent to publish in book form in 2015.  This is the variation prior to final edit prior to publication.

From A Christmas Story

By Mike Furches

Chapter 3

Robbed

            Christmas morning came quickly for the Hamm’s. Tayra was correct in her assumption, it was close to 8:30 before Sammy and Brenda woke up. Kari was doing great and sleeping  through the night, usually from around 9 PM in the evening until 8 AM. It was closer to 10:30 PM on Christmas Eve before she went to sleep meaning that it would likely be as late as 9:30 or 10 before waking if her parents didn't wake her.

Charlie’s intended the family walk into the family room together to see what was under the tree. Tayra and Charlie always did this as a family tradition. The presents the children received were put out the night before, especially the large presents difficult to disguise. Everyone except Kari was excited standing outside the doors of the family room. They were jovial because they knew they were getting to celebrate the birth of Christ but they also recognized and enjoyed the tradition of exchanging Christmas gifts.

"Everyone ready to go in and see what Santa has left us?" Charlie asked with excitement.

"Yea." Everyone responded with enthusiasm.

"All right lets do it." Charlie answered opening the door.

The look of joy and excitement ended abruptly for Charlie and Tayra. Inside the family room was a turned over Christmas tree and no presents. Brenda and Sammy would have thought it a practical joke had it not been for the surprised look on their parents faces. They also noticed the muddy foot prints throughout the living room going from the tree to the open window facing the street. Not only where there no presents under the tree, when Charlie and Tayra looked outside they also noticed that the motorcycle was gone.

Little Kari started crying as her mother had started. Tayra realized what had happened and that their Christmas was not going to be so good. It wasn’t that Tayra was upset about not getting anything, she realized the children wouldn't have any presents for Christmas. Everything was gone and there was no way they could replace it. They Hamm's had little money left and the presents purchased were purchased throughout the year. While some had theft insurance their policy only covered disaster. Charlie and Tayra removed the theft clause to save money. After all, they lived in a good neighborhood and didn't worry about things like this. It seemed to Charlie as if time was standing still during the time the family stood in the door way. No sounds were made with the exception of Tayra and Kari who were both crying. Charlie put his arm around his wife and told Sammy, "Son get me the telephone."

"Here Dad." Sammy said after getting the phone. Charlie dialed 911.

"911, what is your emergency?" The dispatcher said.

Charlie responded in a monotone tone, indicating signs of shock, "Can you send someone here right away. We’ve been robbed."

 ******

            The Hamm’s felt lucky because they knew Detective Hay who was a member of their church. Detective Hay was a slender man standing six feet tall. His salt and pepper hair gave him a measure of dignity and respect. He was a gentle man, yet, firm with the law. Detective Hay was in his mid fifties and had made the police force a life long career. He was a policeman who sincerely cared about serving the public and helping out people in need.

When holiday duty came up he was the first to volunteer because he realized that many of his fellow officers were younger and would appreciate the time with their families. It was hard enough being a police officer without taking time away from ones family.

When getting the call Detective Hay thought the address sounded familiar but he didn't put it together until he got to within a block of the Hamm’s. He never made many calls to the neighborhood due to the lack of crime but he had visited it on occasion for Bible studies and small group activities through the church.

Detective Hay always tried to serve the victims of crime. He had some challenges since joining the Mennonite Church. He questioned how he could love someone he may have to shoot while on duty and what it meant to ultimately love someone. Historically the Mennonites where people who refused to take up arms, often times during war serving as conscientious objectors. He struggled with the issue and was able to resolve it by requesting to be put on robbery investigation duty or other jobs within the force that had it less likely to draw his weapon. Since he had been with the force for close to 30 years his request was honored. It was also the little things of helping his fellow officers which made the decision to serve in this capacity possible. It was tough to accept among some of the officers and even some in his extended family at first, there was concern about if he would be able to pull his weapon and protect others, including his fellow officers if the need ever arose. He had shown his willingness with conviction and firmness on one occasion shortly after asking for special privileges and it gave assurance to his fellow officers that he could be trusted. It was still difficult for him to carry a gun but he knew the chances of using it may be required but those chances were minimal. Even in situations where warrants were served the department had the general rank and file serving most of the warrants. While there were times Officer Hay had some difficulty with his job, he took his job seriously and the obligation to protect human life while seeking justice was clearly illustrated in his work.

While Detective Hay had made serious changes and requests due to his religious beliefs, he didn't pressure others to hold to those beliefs. In private and respectful conversations he was clear as to his position that Jesus Christ was God’s Son and the only means of salvation. He  realized long ago that the Holy Spirit was the one, sometimes with the help of people, who put people under conviction about changing their need of God.

Detective Hay felt close to the Hamm’s. He saw the family at church and had been involved with them in numerous church activities. He always felt you could tell a lot about a family by the children in that family. Being involved with the police force for as long as he had been helped educate him to the importance of the family raising children appropriately and involving them in church. He realized that many of the problems he had encountered through his years on the force was primarily from individuals had a lack of positive parental influence. Many of those families were single parent homes where the parent raising the children worked and left the children at home much of the time to fend for themselves. This was not always the case but it would surprise most at the magnitude of the problem. On occasion Detective Hamm watched television shows, hear messages or participate in community discussions addressing this problem. It was often done without a true understanding of what was happening in society. It was obvious to him that if people truly understood the magnitude of the problem there would be more efforts to address the lack of parental influence in society as opposed to coming up with numerous excuses that allowed the problem to continue and in many ways, even get worse.

Detective Hay investigated the scene for close to an hour, speaking primarily with Charlie and Tayra. They were reluctant to involve the children to much because Detective Hamm, Charlie, Tayra and the other police officer at the scene knew how difficult it would be for the children to hear about everything they would have gotten for Christmas. There were several times that both Charlie and Tayra cried when describing what was stolen. It brought out the reality that as far as the knew, this Christmas, their children would have nothing.

There were times Detective Hay and Officer Likens involved the children because the children had purchased gifts for the family from earnings from chores around the house and part time jobs. As Charlie listened in to when his children were questioned he was proud of how Sammy and Brenda handled themselves. They were dealing with the situation much better than he or Tayra. Charlie also felt peace come over him as the investigation concluded because he realized his children had learned the true meaning of Christmas. To them, this was the observation of Jesus Birth and that was more important to them than the gifts they would have received. It is not as if the children didn’t hurt about their presents being stolen, they did but Charlie also realized that God had blessed his and Tayra’s efforts at  raising their children.

"Where do we go from here?" Charlie asked Detective Hay as he and Officer Likens started to leave.

"It’s hard to say Charlie. Usually we start checking around to see if anyone is trying to pawn the stuff or sell it in some way like at Craigslist or eBay. That takes some time. We have a huge back load and often times the stuff has been sold by the time we can get an officer out. I do believe that in this case though, with it happening at Christmas, that we have a good chance of finding out who stole the stuff. I know I'll make it a point to speed up the investigation right away. I also know that most of the force have families of their own and will be thinking about if this had happened to them. Most of them are really good and I see them taking this case personally." Detective Hay responded, showing concern, yet being honest and sincere.

"Is there a chance that we’ll get any of the gifts back?" Brenda asked. Charlie started to say something because he felt the question might not be appropriate but he realized that for his children the answer might be important.

Detective Hay responded while looking at Charlie and then turning his response towards the children. " I think we’ll probably get some of them back but it’s hard to say. That’s why I won’t make any promises other than we'll do our best." Detective Hay turning towards Charlie continued, "I will say this though. I am confident that whoever stole the gifts from you will be caught and be held accountable."

"Thanks Bob" Charlie said as Detective Hay left.

Detective Hay, knew this was the first time since arriving that Charlie used his first name understood that Charlie had confidence in him and appreciated  his handling of the investigation. This was why he had joined the force, to help people in their time of need. In a strange sort of way he was glad he could help someone from his church. He knew he could make help someone he cared about and who was a part of his spiritual family. He would hope to never have to help in this capacity but he knew the world was not a perfect place. He responded to the Hamm’s as he left. "You’re welcome and I promise I'll do my best. I’m also going to pray for you and if there is anything me or my family can do to help please let us know and we’ll be right here."

"Thanks." Tayra said, not wanting to say more because she might start crying again and realizing that Charlie was already to choked up to say anything else.

As the left, Officer Likens didn't say anything, but thought "If only other Christians cared the way these seems to." He was going through his own issues related to faith and it was good for him to see examples like had just seen.

******

It was surprising at how quickly the afternoon arrived at the Hamm’s house. The first guest started arriving around 1:30 PM on Christmas Day. The first where the Loewens. They where a family which had been involved at the church for over 50 years. Jack and Zelma where Mennonites who had been raised in the Mennonite Church. Jack’s great grandfather and Zelma’s great grandmother arrived in America at the turn of the century as immigrants from Prussia. The Hamm's where surprised at the amount of food the Loewens had brought with them.

It didn't take long before the Hamm’s realized that Detective Bob Hay had called the church to inform the prayer line about what had happened. After getting in touch with Pastor Steve it wasn't long before many of the church members on the phone making calls requesting prayer and support for the Hamm’s. This was one of the aspects of the Mennonite Church that had drawn Charlie into the church. The concern and love the people showed each other,  especially in times of need. It was unparalleled to any church Charlie had ever been a part of or visited.

By the end of the afternoon the Hamm’s had more than 10 families visit their home bringing gifts of food and presents for the children. Many of the items which had been described to Detective Hay was told to the pastors of the church, who in return, shared the information with the members of the congregation. Detective Hay even came by with his family and had his oldest son who had gone to college follow him on a motorcycle that had belonged to him to give to Sammy. The Hamm’s where amazed at the number of gifts they received. Almost all of the gifts had been replaced. It was upon seeing the motorcycle that Detective Hay's son gave that Charlie broke down in tears, again.

Charlie appreciated the gifts but he was confident that neither he or his family deserved this outpouring of love. "Bob, you didn’t need to do this. I mean a motorcycle is really too much to give," as Bob presented Sammy the keys.

"I don’t want to hear it Charlie. Dave and I spoke about it and the fact that he is in college now and never drives the thing anymore made it an easy decision. Dave decided that he was going to buy a new motorcycle this summer anyway and that he wanted to see his old bike go to someone who would appreciate it."

"That’s right Mister Hamm" Dave responded. "Besides, isn’t that a lot of what Christmas is about? Dad always taught us that the ultimate gift that first Christmas was something we didn’t deserve but God gave it to us anyway. Just let this old yellow motorcycle be a reminder of what God gave us in His Son, a sacrifice but a sacrifice given out of love."

Dave was a tall young man, standing over six feet three inches, he weighed close to 220 pounds and had always been active. His long, shoulder length, black hair blowing in the cool wind have convinced a passerby that he was a Native American from behind but he wasn't as far as anyone in the family knew. "Well thanks and I know Sammy really appreciates it." Charlie responded with tears starting to form.

"Yea, really thanks." Sammy responded doing everything he could to keep from shouting with joy about the most excellent gift. Sammy knew the bike wasn't new but that didn’t matter. The motorcycle as far as he was concerned was just broken in. The speedometer had less than 10,000 miles and the Yamaha Enduro with a 250cc engine was the perfect gift, both ready to play in the dirt and drive on the streets. This, was as far as Sammy was concerned, better than any bike his parents could have bought him for the simple reason that it allowed him to enjoy the best of both worlds. He could use it to drive to school and run errands because it was street legal but it was also made so that he could ride on many of the trails around the Arkansas River and many of the lakes around the area. Lake Skiatook not only was a large lake with lots of trails but there were many hills he could ride on and enjoy. Sammy overheard his father tell Detective Hay about the motorcycle which was stolen. It was a street bike and would not have been one he could play on like the one just given him. Sammy gladly accepted the keys with the understanding that if the other motorcycle was recovered then he would have to give this one to someone in need of transportation or in need of a blessing. With this in mind, Sammy gladly accepted the motorcycle.

Before long the evening was upon them and it was almost time for the family devotions which was a regular event in the Hamm’s household before bed. That evening was an example to the family of how God continually provides for His children. God seemed to always provide the needs and often times offered the wants as blessings. There was the obvious example of the birth of Jesus Christ, God’s Son but there were many other examples on this Christmas Day. God used the Church and its people as messengers of love. Kari received many gifts, much more than what was originally under the tree. Brenda got her stereo and Sammy his motorcycle. Neither of the later two where new but they where both gifts the children would enjoy because of the way they received them but they where also bigger and in some ways nicer, although older than what Charlie and Tayra had gotten them.

For Charlie and Tayra they received the gift and reminder of a new expanded family. Many in the church who came by with food and gifts where members they had not known so well in the past. Yet now Charlie understood even more of his own need to be around and help when need be these who went out of their way to show love for the Hamm's. God blessed the Hamm’s this Christmas season despite what they had experienced earlier in the day. Charlie especially realized, "While one may not have awareness of what to expect through the day, if given opportunity, despite the storm clouds that may present themselves early in the day, given time, God can still make rainbows despite the storms in life."

As the days went by many more from the church brought gifts and food for the family. This continued until the middle of January. It was a Christmas season the Hamm's would look back on and for years, remembering the Christmas that almost wasn’t. As they discovered though the meaning of this Christmas had not really sunk in due to the fact that God still had something important to show them, the members of Discovery Bible Fellowship and others Charlie did not yet.  

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A Christmas Story, Part 1 Prologue

The following is a regular update which will be taking place on a weekly basis. It consists of the new book I am writing called A Christmas Story. I am going to be attempting to post a chapter a week up until the final posting, hopefully Christmas week. There are also hopes and plans to have the book published after the Christmas Season in book form.  The book and story are fully copyrighted and while that is the case, as long as appropriate credit is given, I welcome you sharing the page.  I also welcome donations if possible to help cover costs, expenses and time for the writings. Every small bit helps and if you click on any of the pages, or visit www.mosaicwichita.com you can click on the donation links.  It should be noted that 100% of revenues that come in go to support the ministry and work of The Virtual Pew and Mosaic. I take no profits from this work at this time outside of reimbursements.  Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the story. 

A Christmas Story

Prologue 

By: Mike Furches 

Copyright Mike Furches 2014

 A Christmas Story is inspired by a story heard on the James Dobson radio show, Focus on the Family back in the early 1990’s. This fictional work is written with many Christian concepts in mind that were once taught in many if not most Anabaptist Churches and still taught in some.

As one who didn't grow up in a Christian home I have come to appreciate and love Mennonites and consider myself a Mennonite in the application of my own theology in my own life. I hope the truth, love and compassion once so prevalent in this belief system is demonstrated here. Hopefully this work will pay tribute to the thousands of Mennonites who died for their faith during the Reformation for practicing simple concepts like adult baptism and living a lifestyle of ultimate love for others no matter what the consequence.

While the Mennonite church has historically loved all people and reached out to them with the love of Christ, many churches, especially in North America, could do a better job at reaching out to inner city youth, the unchurched, minorities and especially those seen as being different than themselves. I have had disagreements with pastors in a church I was attending about who our focus of outreach should be towards. I believe that particular church made a mistake when they targeted a certain age group, from a certain social economic environment, specifically in certain neighborhoods. The neighborhood the church was reaching out too was middle to upper class families and most were home owners. It isn’t that the Church shouldn’t have directed efforts towards this group but the lack of effort to try and understand the culture and lifestyles of those not from higher income communities, absent from an acceptance of a Christian World-View and in some cases, people living across the street who lived in lower income homes and trailers was foreign for me.  This was especially true when considering that many lower income neighborhoods was also within the geographical area the church was reaching out to, yet those areas and communities were largely ignored. For one who had studied the incarnational concepts of faith, that is Jesus came and associated with us, was even known of as Jesus of Nazareth. He chose to associate with all people, but especially those who had little, the poor, not just in spirit, but financially.

As is often the case, churches seem to build their attendance around the communities where there is money. Unfortunately, this is one of the areas many Mennonite congregations and Anabaptist groups have moved to in recent years, reaching the wealthy, staying away from the poor, and not understanding the culture around them. While there is urban outreach at times it seems the urban outreach that exists, exists in affluent communities as opposed to the inner cities and impoverished neighborhoods. I have more than a few personal stories about conversations I have had at times on this subject with various church leaders from various denominational groups, both including and excluding, Mennonites. 

Churches often reach out to people they expect to be like them, the concept of reaching out to those different is lost, it is one reason it is so easy to do mission work in another country than in your own neighborhood. There are times there is little room or time for grace, understanding and what many people of faith call that concept of incarnation. Many believe the church should make the effort to try and better understand those they are reaching out to and at the very least not show any partiality to income or financial status. Jesus spent a great deal of time teaching and speaking to others about the poor and needy, the orphan and the widow.

Jesus commanded his followers to be fishers of men, not certain men but all men. One obvious conclusion if understanding this concept of being a fisher of men is that one should use the right type of bait when fishing for certain types of men. There has to be an understanding that different types of men may require different types of bait. Most successful fishermen learn to fish for more than one kind of fish, thus learning the traits for each type of fish they are trying to catch. As followers of Jesus and as the Church, we should learn to be fishers of various types of men and women, not just the wealthy, and those like us, but all fish that dwell in our own little part of the ocean. For those who have been diving in waters, whether the ocean or a lake, sea or river, you know, more than one fish occupies any given territory. A fisherman must know the territory, and how to catch the fish, whether a preverbal or allegorical fish, or a real fish.

I have often asked myself why churches seem to only reach out to certain groups while at the same time never making serious efforts, if any, to reach out to the types of people Jesus seemed to so blatantly love and care for? I can’t help but to imagine if Jesus were walking around to day He would reach out to those with drug issues, marriage problems, the homeless, those oppressed by war or societal issues and poverty or money issues among others. Those are the ones often called, The Lost, The Last, and The Least. I have to wonder though, is it those we call this who are the Lost The Last and The Least, or has the Church fallen into those categories? I am not so sure about the terms we used, but I like to call them the hurting, the misunderstood, and those needing Jesus for not just spiritual salvation, but salvation from their circumstance.

I have come to believe the church often takes the actions it does so it can feel comfortable. However, the Church must ask the questions: If we don’t reach out to unpopular groups of people who are different than what we are accustomed to, who will? Far too often the Church has become like the Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus time. She is critical of those who are not religious, practice a different faith, or have no faith at all, we even at times seem to put a political affiliation requirement on those we are willing to love and reach out to. Many in the church doesn’t want to surround herself with people who are perceived as, "undesirable" because of their, "sinful lifestyles".  It is sad but true, our actions are not only driven by our thoughts, but what we think others will think of us for practicing our faith the way Jesus and the writers of the Bible instruct us to.

It is here we need to realize, that yes, while the Church is a building or a location; it isn’t really a church without the people who make up the Church. It is in reality the people who make the Church what she is or is not. Our thoughts and our perceptions either have us doing the right thing, or ignoring the right thing and doing what is for many, comfortable. While this may be the easy road many choose, while there may even be a level of effectiveness to it, it isn't what calls us to. 

Think about what the Scribes and Pharisees said? They accused Jesus of being with drunkards, prostitutes, tax collectors, the poor, the sick, outcast and more. These were the very people Jesus and the early Church reached out to. They were not the only people, there were others who fell into the category of middle to upper class, yet, Jesus made specific efforts, to reach out to the ‘sinners’. He went to where they were and related in a way were he showed them he respected and loved them as a people. This concept of relating, of becoming ‘one of them,’ is incarnation.

Often, as people go to church they think everything about their lives and the lives of others who come to the church has to change. For example, only certain types of music may be accepted, others are not, there has to be a set pattern to the rhythms and beats and it is imperative that everyone follow those patterns. Sometimes there are certain dress requirements. While we don’t always come right out and say these things or we may even deny these things in our words, our actions indicate this is church policy. As many churches start targeting groups for outreach they leave out certain populations, it is evident as we look around us that this is the case. I ask the questions, “Who is reaching out to various racial groups? Are our Churches integrated with all ethnic groups? Do we show love to the poor, not just by putting money in the missionary funds, but by spending time with them, face to face, heart to heart, eye to eye? Do we have homeless programs that not only meet the immediate need, but work to establish more for them, more like homes, families careers, etc... Are we giving financially to help those in need as much as we are asking to meet our financial needs such as our building funds? Do we know why someone is a gang banger? When is the last time we hugged a prostitute? What about criminals, do they know what it is like to have a visit from a person of faith? Does the church welcome skaters?  Goths? Do we know what these people believe? Do those in alternative lifestyles know us? What about those involved in new age concepts? Do we involve ourselves with the country music crowd? How about Rock n Rollers? We can ask ourselves the question, when the bible says whoever, do we believe it? Does our whosoever’s include people who are Bi, Lesbian, Gay, Transgendered, or even Straight, Religious, Muslim, or Hispanic? What conditions and restrictions do we place on our efforts to reach out to and share Jesus love with others?

Hopefully you get my point. Unfortunately, it is clear; many in the Church do not want to reach out to the above mentioned groups and are not willing to do what is needed in order to be effective in reaching them. Churches, not open to the concepts needed to reach these "different", groups for Christ that should be on their knees asking for Gods forgiveness for their lack of concern and unwillingness to share the "Good News" and in doing the work Jesus and the Scripture commands.

Jesus came and incarnated.  He gave His life so "none would perish" and "all can come into the presence of the Lord," "worshipping Him forever and ever." One of the situations at the church I attended was I had a disagreement with one of the pastors around the area of music. We were looking at developing an alternative contemporary worship service that would be a form of outreach to those in the community not going to church using a style many could relate to. Some in the church felt certain types of music was not acceptable and that people in their 30’s and 40’s would not enjoy a more contemporary and upbeat style. I found this attitude humorous. I was in that age group at the time and decided to do some research to find out what was the most popular radio stations in our area for listeners in that age group. The most popular radio stations were stations with classic rock and adult rock formats. This made sense to me because while growing up I listened to groups like Aerosmith, AC/DC, ELO, Van Halen and others with styles popular like this. When I stopped and thought about it, so did most of my friends. Most in this age group and older, they still find this format enjoyable. This does not mean everything I listen to is hard rock but rock and pop are styles many listen to. For different cultures, and within certain segments of various cultures, different styles and formats other than these arise. At one church I was a pastor at the research for our community showed that the Wal-Mart up near us was one of the largest sellers of Hispanic Music in the Country. This certainly played into our decisions when deciding what style of music to incorporate for worship. I have learned that those in the 18-24 age groups within the African American Community listen to different styles of music than most Caucasian listeners between the ages of 55 and 62. While there are always exceptions, they are just that, exceptions.

Another humorous component of this issue is I have looked at and researched Church growth and revival. At churches who have experienced major growth. Most of the new worship music across the world experiencing growth spurts are churches that have updated their music and mode of worship. An obvious example of this is the Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola Florida. As of the writing of this book they have experienced a long running growth spurt. While there is appropriate debate as to if this is a growth revival, there is no denying the impact the church has had. Whether you agree with their doctrine or not they have had people standing outside in lines waiting to get into the church for sometimes days in advance. One can not question the impact this church has had on America and the world. People are getting saved in record numbers and changing their lifestyles from drugs, prostitution, gangs and other sinful lifestyles. Many have given their lives to Christ and made Him their Lord and living lives of holiness and love for others. One of the components bringing people into this church is the style of music which allows and encourages authentic worship. Songs like ‘Saved’ by Bob Dylan and other contemporary artist fill the worship experience as well as a blend of occasional old traditional hymns. Again, under a pure definition of revival it is speculative as to whether or not Pensacola falls into the 'Revival" definition.  There is also no doubt though, that for legitimately defined revivals like the Wesley Revival, The Jesus People Movement, The Asbury Revival and others, that music has had an impact. Even contemporary revivals featuring such evangelists as Billy Graham and others has understood the importance of contemporary music.

Christianity has for over two thousand years now used the music of the culture to reach the people of their generation.  From “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” to songs like “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks” culture has had a tremendous impact on the style of music used in church gatherings. One should for example consider the standard, “Amazing Grace.” It has gone through changes and was written without music. It was years after John Newton pinned the lyrics when the tune was given to the song and it is likely that Newton, the songs lyricist never heard the version we sing. 

Do churches need to find ways to reach out to fringe groups which may not be popular in some church formats? I think so. That is not to say the Church has to accept a sinful lifestyle. For example, I believe that areas not based on Biblical truth need to be seriously questioned. The Mennonite people which are featured in this story are people of doctrine and they as well as other members of the Christian faith should hold firm to their doctrines. In Christianity we certainly have absolutes and it is important to practice our beliefs and if those beliefs are Biblically solid there is nothing wrong with holding firm to those beliefs. We should not be ashamed of the Gospel nor the teachings of Christ and the absolutes He stood for, preached, taught and lived. While not all churches may be able to adapt to these changes, they must at least be willing to consider planting and starting churches which make it possible for people within alternative circles to worship in a way that brings joy and purpose to their lives.  We like Jesus must take part in and encourage, incarnation. Of course in all of this, it is also important to do serious study, not just on the words and text of scripture, but the cultural issues being addressed in scripture. In today's world it is also quite easy to go back to the original languages and determine the likely meaning of the writings we are basing our beliefs on. It may not take long that when doing this, we may discover that not all is has it has been taught over the years.

Today’s Church needs to learn to decipher the difference between Biblical absolutes and cultural differences; we cannot let a cultural difference prevent us from finding ways to reach those who are different. It is moronic for many in the church to make the comparison that ‘Rock N Roll’ or ‘Hip Hop’ is the music of the devil. There are many within the Christian faith that still use this type of argument. They need to look at the historical fact of where many of our hymns come from.

The above is one example of a cultural difference when making worship decisions. When accepting people into church fellowships other cultural areas might include length of hair, certain types of dress, piercings, tattoos and other things. For example, contemporary skaters have a dress style that many do not like but certain aspects of the style of dress have nothing wrong with it other than the fact that many of us who are older didn’t or don’t dress that way. Regarding hair, in today’s culture it may be more undesirable to have extremely short hair than long hair depending on where you live due to the racially motivated skinhead movement. Many in the Church may not realize it but many in today’s contemporary culture make the comparison of men and or women with close cut or shaved heads as being racially bigoted. Is this to say that short hair in and of itself is wrong? Certainly not, it is to say there are cultural issues which make these questions we have to ask more difficult than many realize. Some will remember the days when some said the Beatles hair was too long, they looked like girls. The times have changed since they first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in the early 1960’s. By today’s standards their hair would be considered short and in some circles even considered a business cut if styled a little differently.

Each generation has its own cultural issues which are difficult for the preceding generation to accept. It has been this way since the beginning of time and will continue until Jesus return. It is human nature and a part of the growing up process for youth to explore new ideas and concepts different than their parents. Often times these youthful ideas push the buttons of us who forgot what it was like to be young and what it was like growing up. It is not to say all aspects of growing up and trying new things are right. Our children will make mistakes just as we made mistakes. However, the challenges of today’s youth are in many ways greater than they were for us. The development of technology has not helped. Neither have the changing cultural norms. Many believe and I am among them, that this generation with the advent of cell phones, chat rooms, Instagram, Twitter and more are influenced more by outside factors than factors at home.  As parents or older adults we can try to win a battle we are guaranteed to loose by forcing our views and opinions on others or we can find a measure of success by trying to understand the culture and then in the understanding of that culture adapt or yes, even incarnate where possible. 

One of the difficulties today for many is that today’s culture does not believe in absolute truth. Many of our absolutes are concepts that have been passed down through every vein of our lives. The truths many people have are difficult for the post modernist because they do not recognize nor have they discovered what they believe to be ultimate truth. This is why we must do our best to understand our children and raise them to the truth and understanding of God’s love as exemplified in his Son’s death, resurrection, teaching and Holy Word, the Bible. We have to in the process again, incarnate to create a better understanding between us and them. In other words, it is imperative that we live the words of Scripture and model our lives after Jesus if we are to be effective in sharing Jesus with others.

What does any of the above have to do with the story you are reading; "A Christmas Story"? Shortly after I came to have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ I read the book, ‘In His Steps’ by Charles M. Sheldon. This book, as it has for many Christians, has left a dramatic impact on my life in the decisions I make. While hearing the story of a family that was robbed during Christmas in the early 1990’s on the radio program, Focus on the Family, I begin thinking about what Jesus would want me to do if I was robbed, especially at the worst time for a family with children, Christmas. As I thought about what God would want me to do the idea for "A Christmas Story" was birthed.

While the story looks at other areas such as racial understanding, the justice system and others it does not take place entirely at Christmas time. For those of us who have chosen to follow Jesus we understand the significance of Christmas. It is without a doubt one of the three most important days for the Christian. Christmas is a reminder of many things, including the example of Jesus that shows us why and how we should live all of the time. It is with this in mind that "A Christmas Story" was written. I cherish that Jesus was born as a babe in Bethlehem.  He chose to live among us as one of us. I value the ultimate gift God gave humanity on that first Christmas. That gift gives me reason to live but it also inspires me to give to others. Jesus spent so much time with people and taught with such passion while he was on the earth, there is much we can still learn. He gave us a new commandment, the 11^th commandment that "We love God with all our heart, soul and mind and strength and that we love our neighbor as ourselves." We are told in Matthew that what we have done for the least of these we have done for Him. God makes it clear, we show Him our love by loving others.

I have looked for human role models who exemplify Gods’ love and by living Jesus’ teachings. In a former job I often interviewed people for employment and one of the last if not the last question I asked was that if they could have dinner with one person, either living or dead, real or fictional who would it be and why. Most had the predictable answers of Jesus, or a dead parent, maybe even a president like Abraham Lincoln. Those who know me are not surprised by my answer. It would not be Jesus, I am with Him everyday and have access to his teachings in the Bible, for me the answer to the question is the real Saint Nicholas. He was an individual who historically and in reality, understood what God had given him and what he should in return give back to others. It would be interesting to ask his thoughts on what he felt about the observance of Christmas in today’s society. "A Christmas Story" gives my take on what I believe God would have us do in part in today's society with Christmas.

Hopefully this story helps you consider what Christmas is about and what can come about if we understand and accept the significance of that first Christmas and every one since. I pray this story helps you understand not only culture but also how to reach out to others in a loving way. God has already given us the potential to have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful year. It is up to us in part to have one by recognizing the value of the gift but it is also our responsibility to help others see the meaning of Christmas too. May this Christmas, this life, be filled with the wonderful gift of Jesus and opportunity to fall so much in love with Him today that you can't help but share him with others. 

 

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