The three wise women of Bethlehem. Chistingle 2025

Christingle 2025

I loved the school nativity play. 
It was about Bethlehem – and the imagined police force in Bethlehem.
They had a problem. There were so many people coming for the census that there was no room in the town. So the police force were trying to keep people out

Joseph and Mary were OK – because they had come for the census
But the shepherds – no, and the wise men – definitely no, and the angels – a categorically definitely loud no no no!

We hear about Bethlehem in Christmas readings
We sing about Bethlehem: O little town of Bethlehem

It was an old town. Its name means 'house of bread', so probably there were lots of bakers there. I wonder whether they had any shops selling oranges?

But when people thought about Bethlehem, they didn't think about three wise men, but two wise women.

There was Rachel. 

She lived a long time before Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the wee donkey.
Rachel was one of the mothers of the Jewish people. One quarter of the nation looked back to her. And she was buried in Bethlehem.

There was Ruth. Ruth was remembered for her faithfulness, and as an outsider who was welcomed and became part of the story

She was a foreigner. When Naomi – who was a Jew - lived in a faraway land, in Moab, Ruth married one of Naomi’s sons. He died and Naomi decided to return home. Ruth realised that Naomi needed looking after. So she told Naomi, I will come with you. Your land will be my land, and your God will be my God. So she left her home in Moab and travelled back with Naomi. And they came to Bethlehem, where God provided Ruth with some work, with what she and Naomi needed to eat, and where Ruth eventually married Boaz.
Ruth was remembered for being faithful – but also because she was the grandmother of the great King David.

So two women.
Rachel – a mother of the Jewish nation.
Ruth – a foreigner who became the grandmother of the great king.

And today we remember a third woman in Bethlehem:
Mary, the mother of Jesus.
She gave birth to Jesus, the Son of God, the light of the world.

The Christingle (notice the word CHRIST) is cosmic.
It looks like a little spaceship but it is in fact the whole world held in God’s hand.
And the orange stands for the whole world – God’s gift to us of this planet.
The sticks and sweets are God’s gift to us of the fruits of the whole world.
The ribbon reminds us of God’s love for the whole world. Jesus grew up and gave his life for every person when he died on the cross.

He gave his life for Rachel, the mother of the Jewish people, an insider; 

He gave his life for Ruth a foreigner, an outsider, a Moabitess. 

He gave his life for Mary who heard God's word and said Yes. 

He gave his life – if we are prepared to receive his gift - for you and me in Burnham Market on the North Norfolk coast.

And the candle stands for Jesus – the child born 2000 years ago to Mary in Bethlehem. He can bring light to a world often lost in darkness; he can bring unity and peace to a world often divided between ‘us’ and ‘them’, and he brings hope to a world where often there seems only despair.