This is a Christmas story about a gun-packing, self-described atheist, who opened up his Newark apartment for the holidays to complete strangers.

And nothing bad happened.

"What are your plans for Christmas?" John Novak, a 28-year-old Army reservist, posted to a Delaware Reddit board last week. "If you don't have any and might be alone, you have plans now."

The tattooed man with the bald head and strapping build assured fellow Redditors he was completely sane (yet insanely trusting). He even provided a link to character references from parties past, who could "validate my legitimacy and TotallyNotGoingToWearYouAsASkinsuitAttitude."

Anyone was welcome, Novak insisted, regardless of "race, religious creed, sexual orientation, political leaning, dietary restrictions or karma count."

"My only request is that you please not murder (expletive deleted) anybody here..." he added. "If you feel off-put, look, this isn't charity. This is you getting together for beers, wines and dinner with some friends you haven't made yet."

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The positive response was immediate. This gives me "a little more faith in humanity," user awsnapitsrachel wrote.

"Can I wear my Batman onsesie?" another Redditor joked.

Others gifted Novak their Reddit "gold," which gives him access to premium site features. He told them to make a donation to the Food Bank of Delaware instead.

In the end, eight people private messaged him to RSVP, including several work acquaintances, strangers-turned-friends who had attended Novak's previous holiday free-for-alls and people he'd never met before in his life.

To be expected, a few canceled at the last minute, explaining that an old friend had shown up unexpectedly or they had secured another invite. One Muslim woman told Novak that she felt uncomfortable joining because she didn't want to offend Christians celebrating the holiday.

By 8 p.m. Sunday, four people (all Redditors) were gathered at Novak's one-floor walk-up, located in a modest Newark apartment complex with peeling paint. There, they enjoyed a homecooked meal of ham basted in Coca-Cola, brown sugar, orange and Worcestershire sauce, green bean casserole, parmesan creamed spinach and egg nog laced with brandy. Conversation turned from Halloween costumes, to water quality, to Harry Potter, to string theory. The group of twentysomethings and thirtysomethings raised subjects generally considered taboo, such as politics and religion, within the first hour.

There were pregnant pauses, for sure. A quiet guy wearing sunglasses, nursing a glass of two different flavors of Mad Dog, repeatedly declined to join the group until Novak nudged him to the table. Another male guest, who wore a metal rod through his mouth and a white ribbon in his hair, discussed absent Redditors who annoyed him. A third admitted that he had enjoyed a Christmas meal earlier in the day with his family, but came for the fellowship. None wanted their names used.

Katie Enslen, 31, who lives in the same apartment complex as Novak, said Christmas lost its pizzazz this year since her immediate family lives in two different states. Earlier Sunday, she went to the movies to watch "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story."

"It doesn't feel like a holiday," she said, "but it's nice to have somewhere to go."

The consummate host, Novak passed out Miller Lites and hot sauce with a pistol tucked under his plaid shirt.

Nearby, behind a storm trooper decanter full of 14-year-old scotch, a sign informed guests that guns were permitted on the premises. A tiny Captain America figurine guarded the top shelf of a bookcase near a bunch of mini American flags sprouting from a blue vase.

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The three-bedroom apartment wasn't over-the-top decked out, but homey just the same with a glowing winter apple candle. A tabletop tree, decorated with a red velvet bow, glass balls and a "Save Our Troops" ornament partially blocked the framed text of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Six chairs, a basketball-size ham and four side dishes were crammed around a wooden kitchen table, which could accommodate four people snugly. A yule log burned brightly and crackled loudly on YouTube.

Novak's girlfriend, Kelsey Smeltz, had assembled gift bags full of Mardi Gras beads and dollar-store candy for the guests.

Smeltz met Novak a couple years back at LongHorn Steakhouse in Newark, where Novak still works as a waiter and occasional bartender. He invited her to his Christmas party for lonely souls — those who had recently relocated, were dealing with family drama or had exited a long-term relationship.

"I thought that was the greatest thing I ever heard," the 25-year-old remembers, adding that Novak's cooking is "to die for."

Now, the pair live together with a third roommate who is less extroverted but takes the open houses in stride. As a moderator for the Delaware subreddit forum, Novak extends similar invitations to the micro-community for Thanksgiving. He also packs them in for his Christmas holiday party, held later this week and featuring a white elephant gift exchange.

Why? Because he wants to (pardon the cliche) lead by example, to be the change he wants to see in the world. He won't accept monetary donations from his guests. One regifted him an electronic toothbrush Sunday.

"This is something I can afford to do," says Novak, an Army watercraft engineer and contractor. "This is something I want to do."

But what's motivating him goes deeper than that. A fierce patriot, he has a vibrant tattoo on his back of a cavalryman on a rearing horse, waving the stars and stripes. And he believes that making America great again doesn't involve closing our minds by surrounding ourselves with like-minded individuals.

"America isn't a government. America is a people," he says. "We get stuck in these echo chambers and completely forget about what makes America great."

"We have (325) million Americans, who each want what's best for themselves," he continues. "In a democracy, you can't have that."

Soldier at heart

Novak is not an orphan. In fact, his family lives in nearby Glasgow. He took a break from preparations Sunday to join them at his uncle's house.

When it came time for the clan to sit down and watch scary movies, Novak strapped a Kahlua bundt cake to his bike and left to put his casserole in the oven. Because he doesn't own fine cutlery, he used a Gerber pocket knife to dice up the veggies.

Novak can commiserate with those in a perpetual state of transition. He grew up as a Navy brat, deprived of the opportunity to make lifelong friends. He learned to be social by necessity.

His last three years in the Army taught him greater tolerance. Imagine being smushed in a 128-foot-long tugboat in Japan with 23 other soldiers.

Novak always envisioned a career in the military, but his parents weren't keen on the idea because they knew the lifestyle.

"A lot of people join the Army to become soldiers," he said early Sunday afternoon, in between chopping sweet potatoes and slicing brussels sprouts in a kitchen the size of a powder room. "I joined the Army because, in my heart, I already was."

Not wedded to any particular faith, Novak believes in the syncretism of omism, borrowing elements from various religions to construct a worldview. He's also an ordained minister, thanks to the Internet.

"When you have people come together and have the family discuss and the community discuss, it can open up their world," he says.

His Christmas tradition began four years ago while he was still living with his parents. At the time, Novak borrowed the New Castle townhome of another Redditor.

It was touch-and-go early on. When one Redditor — practically a stranger — was the lone guest one year, Novak brought him to his uncle's house to feast and watch "Die Hard" and "The Terminator."

Over the years, the parties have caused no major issues apart from a missing video game disc. Eventually, Novak and Smeltz hope to buy a home and expand the gatherings to include soldiers stationed away from their families.

"That's just how his mind works," Smeltz says, explaining her boyfriend's charitable impulses.

Novak also volunteers as a hayride operator for Brandywine Creek State Park and as a logistical coordinator for Presents from Robbie, a Smyrna-based group that delivers Christmas gifts to older foster children. On Christmas Eve, he worked a double shift at Longhorn so that other employees could enjoy time with their families.

He likes keeping busy this time of year; it serves as a distraction.

It's been more than a year since he has seen his 9-year-old daughter, who lives in Pennsylvania with his ex-wife. His former spouse limits visitation because she believes that's best for the child, he says, without a trace of anger.

An unshakable optimist, Novak believes that people are more alike than they're different.

Following a year of election rancor, he is proud to wear his uniform to represent the U.S. Army during the presidential inauguration next month.

"A soldier follows orders," he explains, adding that he will check his political ideology at the door. "I will stand there heel to heel and be a good soldier."

"It doesn't matter who you are and what you believe," he continues. "You could be a stranger on the street, and I would lay down my life for you."

Contact Margie Fishman at 302-324-2882, on Twitter @MargieTrende or mfishman@delawareonline.com.