Emmanuel

A man lay dying in Cleveland’s Metro Hospital, having suffered burns over much of his body while attempting to rescue fellow tenants from a boarding house on the near west side. In his last moments he could be heard breathing the name “Emmanuel” repeatedly. Hospital staff did not know his true identity so they named him “Emmanuel Doe”.

The story of the fire spread throughout various reaches of cyberspace and some acquaintances began wondering if the man could be Raymond. He had attended our satellite church in Lakewood, and they knew he lived in the area. By that time his body lay in the morgue and it was my friends’ grievous task to confirm his identity.

Raymond struggled with alcoholism much of his adult life and alienated much of his family but in the end he became a hero for rescuing others from certain death. Having served faithfully in the Marines, his friends arranged his burial in Arlington National Cemetery. His astounding story reached the national news circuit.

There is profound significance in Raymond calling out the name “Emmanuel” in his last moments, for that is one of the names given to Jesus, and it means “God with us.” Though Raymond had faltered so many times throughout the course of his life, he finally had grasped the reality that God was not only with him but for him, in spite of his failings. He had grasped that truth sufficiently enough that even in his semi-consciousness he was able to call on His name. Raymond was painfully aware of his failures and perhaps that is what made it easier for him to receive the gift of Emmanuel.

Those of us with far greater means and achievements have learned to be reliant on our own strengths and resources. It takes longer for us to come to the end of ourselves and recognize our need for God’s presence. But there will come times in all of our lives when the circumstance we encounter is insurmountable in our own strength, whether it’s a fatal diagnosis, a tragic accident, a painful memory, a grievous loss.

The good news is that the name “Emmanuel” speaks to God’s very nature, that He wants to be with us, even though that’s hard for us to understand. And he wants to be with us, not just in the hard times, but in the daily disappointments and joys, the tedium and struggles, the victories and celebrations. And so my prayer this season is this:

“O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!
(O, Little Town of Bethlehem, lyrics by Phillips Brooks, 1867)