Gunshots for Christmas

Having dealt with a short list of vandalism and other petty crimes in my lifetime, the gunshots that rang out last night quickly topped the list.

It was around 10 PM Christmas Eve. My parents, sister, and I were walking to our car after a Christmas party at The Rock Church in downtown Kansas City when we heard them. Those five dry, dark, cold, and empty gunshots rang out, cutting to the core of our deepest fears. From the sound of them, I imagined I could have moved a house or two out of the my view and revealed the shooter in plain sight. It felt pretty close, anyway.

So like monkeys in an elephant stampede, we ducked, covered, and ran for the nearest safe-zone. I placed my guitar in the car trunk and quickly slid into the comfort of my seat with the rest of my family. A car came into view, barreling down the road perpendicular to us. Obviously it must have been the getaway car…well, maybe.

But we all held our breath in quiet anticipation. The car slowed to check down both streets, almost paralyzing the movement inside our car, before turning and speeding away from us. We took a much-needed breath as my dad began the drive home to safety and away from the hood (as they call it).

Nothing prepares you for such fear – no movie, book, TV show, or firsthand testimonial. These gunshots were not produced and put in place by a special effects team to evoke terror and emotion. These gunshots had the power to penetrate through skin, bones, internal organs, and life itself.

I didn’t know what to make of the event. I heard my first lethal gunshots and escaped. We sat for 10 minutes in a perforated silence on the drive home, interrupted by short conversations. It was clear we were all dealing with envisioning what could have happened had we been a block or two in the direction of the shooting. From getting caught in the crossfire to have been chased down by the shooter in a high-speed pursuit, my thoughts jumped endlessly from fear to fear.

But now I hear it,

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people” (Luke 2:10).

Out of the Biblical context – yes – but I see the message from the angels on that day as an eternal echo, trumpeting the good news of our King.

By the way, these angels were no fairy-dusting children of the clouds. They were giant warriors of Heaven, probably equipped with weapons of Light 1,000-times more horrifying than a few meager gunshots.

The message they brought to those lowly shepherds 2,000 years ago still thunders victoriously today. Whether gunshots, taxes, disease, or demons, Jesus came on this day to silence every fear and bring joy to all people. Born humbly as a baby in a manger, He came and died so that we might have life to the fullest, walking in perfect unity with our heavenly Father.

Do not be afraid, the Savior is born!