Late on the night of March 13, 1964, after working a late shift, twenty-eight year old Kitty Genovese returned to her home in the Kew Gardens section of Queens, New York.  She parked her car and walked toward the front door of her apartment building when a man came out of the shadows attacked her, stabbing her twice in the back.  She screamed, "Oh, my God, he stabbed me!  Help me!" 

In the apartments all around and above lights flared on and windows opened, and when the attacker saw them he retreated.  Ms. Genovese, severely wounded, began to crawl away.

It was later reported that thirty-eight people witnessed some part of the attack, but of the thirty-eight people no one called the police, no one came down out of their building to help.  One witness turned up the music on the radio to drown out the sounds of the attack.  Another witness said: "I just didn't want to get involved."

After ten minutes, the assailant realized that no one was going to help Ms. Genovese.  He returned to the scene of his initial attack, followed her to the rear entrance of her building, robbed her of $49, and killed her. 

No one wanted to get involved – they were afraid they might get hurt.  But Christmas means that God himself was willing to get involved with us.  Christmas, according to Tim Keller, means that God is willing to put himself at risk, to become vulnerable (to become a human infant, the most vulnerable of creatures), for us.  Christmas means that God has heard our screams.

Not that we were screaming for God.  Sinners won't do that.  If God had waited for us to call him, he would wait forever.  If God had waited for us to come to him, he would wait forever, for sinners could never do that.  But God in his mercy came down to rescue us even though we aren't sure of what we need to be rescued from.  Christmas means that God through Christ "gave himself from our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever.  Amen."  Galatians 1:4-5.