COLUMN BY KEN HAMILTON — Not every manger scene lie still and silent on a snow-covered lawn of a corner church. The thousands years-old event is often repeated in the hearts of many throughout the world. Sometimes, it is borne out in the hearts of those of whom we least expect. In this case in this story, it was on the littered sidewalk of a nearby city.

“When they arrived, they were angry, bitter and beaten by a system to which they knew that they were destined to return,” says Terry King, the executive director of a Western New York half-way house. But, through the purpose of the Christmas message, and that special Messenger’s host, things for them would change.

While their true identities are protected, King said that Eric was blind and had committed a series of sexual offenses, the most recent being almost immediately after he was out on a previous parole. Jorge was a quiet fellow with mental problems and had a horrific criminal record that included arson. He stayed mainly to himself. Both men were considered dangerous and neither of whom many people would have welcomed. Sadly, due to a lack of support, structure and public acceptance, the expectation for men such as these is quick reincarceration.

But, over time, through King and his staff’s work at Grace House, the two strangers not only found the acceptance, and other elements for which they sought — through the power of God, the rekindled warmth of the arsonist’s cleansed heart brought a new light into the blinded eyes of a former sex offender, and they discovered that they could love and care for each other with that amazing and saving grace that God, Himself, offers each of us.

I was in the Sunday audience at the Chapel at Crosspoint when King told us of these things. The gentle crackling of his trembling voice was a like a soft thunder rolling through the hearts of many in that audience; and I might have been able to have seen the tears raining from the souls of those so touched, had it not been for the tears that leaked from my own eyes.

We should not have been amazed by what King said that day. Like Jorge and Eric, sometimes we trap ourselves in a system of doubting both the power of God and the capacity of His creations. There is an expectation that we ought to have as humans, especially as Christians, that the event that follows should be a regular occurrence.

But, too often, our expectations are not in line with our stated faith. The societal statistics bear out that Jorge and Eric are destined to fail, as they have previously done, and so many others like them have. We adjust our natures to facilitate that failure.

The expectations, however, from Grace House are quite different than those of society. “Because they are back in our society,” King says, “We expect them to reintegrate. They know that failure to do so means that a report of their failure would send them back to prison.

“The law says that they have to come home; and, after serving their time, they are entitled to do so,” King said. “But, they come back, with their record, into a homeless society; and sometimes with their behaviors, too.”

What makes King’s halfway house different from most others is that they started a Sunday chapel for those who either would not go to a regular church service because of a lack of social acceptance, or could not because they were uncomfortable.

While King looks to the one of which Christmas is all about, he never forgets about his own frailties and failures of faith. Sometimes his own faith does fail; but, thank God, he won't allow his work to fail.

“It really goes to the heart of what we do at Grace House,” King said. “We receive men with criminal backgrounds who have no place else to go.”

Over time, King watched those same two characters blossom that nearly everyone would have been happy to have seen returned to prison. “What really touched my heart, he said, “was seeing them going to church and prospering for two, three, four and then six months.”

But, if that was enough for King, then there would hardly be a story here, would there?

After one of those services, King got into his car to go home when he saw the two men, Jorge — the once hardened criminal and blinded Eric — walking side-by-side, arm-in-arm, down the sidewalk and away from the service. “I shouted out, asking them what they were doing,” King said.

Jorge, whose English was broken, but whose heart had been healed, responded, “I am walking my friend home.”

King sat in his car and cried. “Those two men were doing what God had commissioned us all to do,” he said. “But, I, and so many others, are sometimes so unwilling to do. “

If Christmas is really about Christ, then should we not all find ourselves not far away from the manger? If we are not taking, by the arm, someone who cannot see the Eastern Star, and walking them safely home, then should we not be supporting those who do?

You can learn more about Grace House by viewing their web page at www.sgmworld.org or by calling 893-1840.

Merry Christmas.

Ken Hamilton is a Niagara Falls resident. His columns run Fridays in the Gazette. He welcomes feedback at Ken Hamilton930@aol.com.