It was a cold winter evening as I headed over to the rotunda. With the freezing temperatures and snowfall the night before, I knew already it wouldn't be a flash mob, more like a flashlight. But even flashlights can be powerful in the midst of darkness. And dark it was, but hearts were warmed in the wintry night, as the lights sparkled on the trees on the Common. I walked toward the round and saw the glowing of candlelight lighting up my friends' faces as they waited. It was a heart warming sight, to see Jennie, Christ, Kelly and Jacob, along with two others I had never met before. We made a total of 7, God's holy number. One or two plus the Holy Spirit is all you need to shift the spiritual atmosphere. We walked out into the night singing songs of Jesus' birth and sharing our joy. The first people we encountered didn't really speak English but we offered to pray with them anyway. We began to pray in front of the St. Francis House homeless shelter, down the block from the Masonic temple and Emerson College, this is a hot zone for drug use and activity. We prayed for the Combat Zone, against drugs, violence, and for the strippers, prostitutes, pimps, johns to know salvation. One man was drawn to our singing and we prayed for him and his girlfriend who was addicted to drugs. He was touched by us as we by him. God's spirit was all around us that night and as we passed by the Chinatown T stop there were about 7 or 8 people hustling and gathered together for drugs or alcohol. A man named John Pizzano was drunk, but decided to join our caroling. As we walked, he unleashed his story of jail and difficulties. It was hard to hear of his suffering, but he joined us, leaving his huddle and even girlfriend behind. We prayed for his deliverance and also for the rest of Boston's deliverance and revival. Our candles sometimes went out, but someone would always be there to light it back up. As we prayed and broke up into the night, we were blessed by the smiles of joy on strangers faces and cheery calls of Merry Christmas and God bless you and I called out Jesus loves you (in case they didn't already know) to warm the hearts of Boston. In a season of the coming of Christ, it was a lovely reminder that strangers are all family at least once a year!
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