Something really cool happened this week and I want to share it with you.
At the physical location where we believe Jesus was born in Bethlehem there is a church called the Church of the Nativity. In this church are oil lamps that have burned constantly for over 1,000 years. The flame has never gone out- transferred from lamp to lamp- but has never gone out. In 1986, the Austrian Broadcasting Company organized “The Peace Light from Bethlehem” as a way to bring Light into Darkness. Each year, a child travels to Bethlehem and obtains the flame from these lamps, bringing it back to Austria where scouts from countries all over Europe come to obtain the light and pass it to others.
In 2000, that light came to the United States for the first time. On December 4, 2022, it arrived at JFK airport where it was picked up by Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and others from all over the country to be spread across the U.S. as a sign of “peace, harmony, and unity among all people of the world- every race, ethnicity, and creed.”[1] From JFK, two scouts had were lead to stop by a ceremony being held by one of our local scouting troops and share the light with them.
I then received a photo and a phone call saying, “Are you home? This is coming to you right now. Get a candle ready.”
What an honor and privilege to be a place that holds this light for a season. Thanks to the generosity of Harvey UMC the flame has sat burning in my library since that night as I wait for my own “eternal flame” candles to arrive. And since that night, the flame has been shared with churches across the area and will eventually be shared with those who come to worship at St. Paul’s. It will even be used Christmas Eve to pass the light of Christ and bring it out into the world.
As I sit and watch this flame burn bright, it gives me a sense of peace and hope. Knowing the numbers of people and the red tape that had to be cut for that flame to be here, in this place, almost 6,000 miles away.
Only Jesus can do that.
And yes, this flame is a symbol. But it is also more than that. It is a literal light in the darkness, the same way that Jesus was for the Israelites. It is a literal beacon of hope as it lights the way from the place where Jesus was born and travels around the globe, reminding people that they are not alone.
Whether you have a flame to pass or not, let us be lights in the darkness, and beacons of hope in our community.
Blessings friends,
Pastor Nicole
You can watch the flame be transferred from the lamps in Bethlehem to the people in NYC starting at 27:50 here: https://www.peacelightnorthamerica.org/where-is-the-peace-light/nyc
[1] https://www.peacelightnorthamerica.org/about/history