Prayer Vigils on Christmas Night...

It is almost 7pm on Christmas Night. This is usually a night filled with full bellies, Christmas presents and wrapping paper all around, and laughter with families and friends. I didn't quite experience that today. I got a phone call from one of my families this morning saying that her son, Toby, had some friends that were possibly in a plane crash in Panama. The plane was missing and she was wondering if I could pray for them. The gut in my stomach turned because I had just read about this story on cnn.com just an hour before, wondering if any of my kids were associated with these two girls. It wasn't confirmed on CNN that they were from Santa Barbara, but I was putting pieces together that there was a good chance that they were. Sure enough, they were 2 of the 42 kids in Toby's 7th grade class at Crane Country Day School. I was on call all day emailing families and our church staff and talking with Toby's family. It was a weird Christmas already (being that it was only me and my parents...and we spent about 2 hours walking on the beaches in flipflops and just a t-shirt today.) I wasn't expecting to be the main pastor on call for this school.


I ended up leading a prayer vigil tonight for these two. I have never met them, but my heart is broken for their families and this community. I was scared to death to lead this service, but a few of you were praying me through it. (thank you!) You know, candle light prayer vigils are special, and real, and spiritual. Pastor Don reminded me that in almost any faith tradition, a candle that is lit represents hope. These families were seeking hope in this tragedy. Just one hour before the last minute service, they found out one of the girls had died with her father, while the friend who came along was the only survivor. She is suffering from hypothermia and some broken bones (from what we were told). They found the two girls together (probably meaning that the survivor was able to get to her friend). Here are more details...

This is so tragic for a day that is supposed to be so hope-filled. I am processing a lot myself. Please continue to pray for these families, for Toby and his classmates at Crane, and for those of us who are on the front lines of situations like this...in the times we least expect it.


My friend Ang reminded me of a Christmas song that has some interesting lyrics. I thought it was appropriate to end this entry with it. Here is a quote from her blog...

In a staff mtg that I was in last week we all reflected on the line from O Little town of Bethlehem that say "The hopes and fears of all the years, are met in they tonight". Do I really get what it means for all of my hopes and all of my fears to be met in Christ? I can honestly say that I have never felt completely hopeless but I am aware of many people around me who are hopeless and who need to anticipate the birth of Christ."