Imagine all the joy spreading through the whole world during Christmas 2023! According to PEW research it was estimated that there are 3.8 billion Christians worldwide in the year 2020. Wow, think about it, 3.8 billion people filled with Joy from Christmas. Imagine 3.8 billion people all determined to enjoy helping less fortunate people.
According to The Charitable Roundtable Christians’ charitable gifts make up the largest charitable gifts of any group in the world. And 30% of Christian giving is in the month of December. It is as if Christianity wakes up and flexes its muscles during the Christmas season. I feel that you can see the twinkle in the eyes of most human beings when they give to help others regardless of their religious background. The angels knew what they were talking about when they celebrated Christmas by proclaiming: “Joy to the World” at the first Christmas.
I just returned from meeting a jolly man named Heinz. Heinz is originally from Austria where the Christmas tradition is for families who wait for Christmas Eve to cut down their trees and bring them into their homes to decorate them on Christmas Eve. They fill their homes with the Evergreen fragrance of Christmas. Then the families go to church carrying candles and lanterns to take the flame from the Christmas Mass to light the candles of their homes. We met at the Tacoma Home Depot to receive a flame from the Eternal Peace Flame in Bethlehem that was passed hand to hand by Austrian Christians around the world to bless churches at Christmas time. The whole project began in 1987 and is spreading more and more throughout the world. Every year before Christmas, the flame originates at the Grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem and goes to Austria. From there it is distributed throughout the country by the Scout movement. The eternal light signifies peace to as many people as possible.
I also had the joy of meeting, RJ Ryder who leads a men’s Bible Study for St. Patrick’s Catholic church in Tacoma who met Heinz and his wife K.J. Lange (both Austrians who now live in Poulsbo but grew up in Austria) and now that they are retired, they have joined the Peace Light of Bethlehem project throughout the world. The head of Austrian airlines allowed them to fly to New York to pass the peace flame. A company from Austria funds the costs to spread this flame around the world. I can’t tell you how inspiring these kind Christians were as they shared with me how our world is being touched by churches passing the peace flame around the world. These enthusiastic people told me wonderful stories of how we need this Christmas peace flame more than ever. They are sharing hand to hand more than just a peace flame but also Christmas joy!
This week we are going to discuss the importance of Joy in our Christmas experience. Because Christmas is like opening a window opening to a refreshing breeze freeing us from all the stale stench of the world’s continuing predicament. WHO and WHAT are the angels that open the windows to relieve the rancid monotony we often find ourselves being suffocated by. And how can we open our lives to more of this Christmas joy being spread by angels.
Join me this Sunday as we learn about angels and joy from the Christmas story and see our advent candles being lit from the international Christmas Peace Flame from Bethlehem.
Your friend for the rest of my life,
Pastor Tim White