Jesus Christ never received a text on a cell phone. He never watched a video online. And he certainly never bought a chicken from a vending machine. Yet doing each of these things can help us be a little more like Him this Christmas season.
This idea has been at the core of the Light the World initiative since it first launched three years ago – inviting people to share the celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ by emulating His life. Each successive year introduced new ways to give as Jesus gave, including service-oriented advent calendars, shareable videos, and more. In 2019, the #LightTheWorld theme is “One by One,” bringing both fresh and familiar ways to give to the individuals in need around us.
This Christmas season features the return of the popular Giving Machines—special vending machines that give something far better than soda or candy bars. Instead, they let people donate a variety of goods to people in need, from fish and chickens to food and medical supplies. In 2018, the Giving Machines raised more than $2.3 million for local and global charities. Partner charities receive one hundred percent of all donations, making a difference in the lives of people both across the globe – and just around the corner. Watch where your donation goes here.
“These Giving Machines are an example of the big things that can happen when many people give just a little,” said Sister Bonnie H. Cordon, Young Women general president. “That is what it means to Light the World one by one—when we each give what we can offer, our little light adds to a brightness of hope.”
Each year the Giving Machines, first available only in Salt Lake City, Utah, are found in more and more cities. This Christmas, they’re in New York City, London, Las Vegas, Denver, Laie, Hawaii; Quezon City, Philippines; San Jose, California; Gilbert, Arizona; Orem, Utah; and Salt Lake City.
Of course, #LightTheWorld extends well beyond areas with a Giving Machine. On December 22, Latter-day Saint wards and branches all over the world will be holding a special one-hour Christmas service. Members can invite friends, neighbors, and family members to celebrate the season together through song, prayer, and worship. Learn more about inviting others to this meeting here.
Other opportunities to give and share include daily service prompts by text or email. One day, a text might recommend shoveling a neighbor’s driveway; another day, it might be as simple as offering a kind word to a family member. Each prompt is designed to be easy to act on—and yet also be meaningful to both giver and receiver. And, of course, each is designed to follow Christ’s example of ministering to others “one by one.” Find out more here.
Perhaps the most exciting new part of Light the World this year is “The Christ Child.” This brand new, 18-minute film tells a familiar story in a new way. Where previous depictions of the Nativity often showed silent, impersonal versions of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, “The Christ Child” aims to reveal a different perspective.
“We try to present these people as real people, in extraordinary circumstances,” said director John Foss. (This isn’t the first time Foss has brought sacred biblical figures to life—he also played the adult Jesus in various recent Church productions, such as the Bible Videos series.) “We tried to strip away a lot of the pageantry. Most people know the story of the birth of the Savior. We tell it every Christmas. We wanted to access the story from a really human point of view.”
“The Christ Child” production team stuck closely to the scriptural record while relying heavily on historians and biblical scholars to present the most accurate depiction of those real events two thousand years ago. In that spirit of authenticity, they even decided to forego English dialogue in favor of Aramaic and Hebrew, which is close to what ancient Judeans would have actually spoken.
“What we hope viewers take away from this film is that the Nativity is not a story, it’s history,” said Jeff Taylor, executive creative director over the project. “These miraculous events actually happened, and we wanted to help people experience them in both a historically accurate and emotionally engaging way.”
Watch “The Christ Child” here. Read more about the Giving Machines, sign up for email or text service prompts, and more at lighttheworld.org.
