The light of Christmas started in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ.
This weekend, it comes to Johnson County.
Grace United Methodist Church in Franklin will host the Peace Light, a continuous flame intended to promote a message of peace and brotherhood, during a ceremony at 5 p.m. Sunday. People will have an opportunity to light candles or lanterns from the flame and take the Peace Light with them to their own homes.
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The goal is to bring charity, peace and unity to communities throughout the world.
“We’ll get together to light one lamp off another and sharing the message of peace and brotherhood this time of year,” said Keith Karnes, who is helping organize the event with Scout Troop 228 and Venture Crew 228.
The event is organized by the two Scouting organizations, which are based at Grace United Methodist Church. This will be the fourth straight year the Scouts have brought the Peace Light to Franklin.
The Peace Light is a symbolic fire taken from the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Israel. The campaign originated in Austria in 1986, when the Austrian Broadcasting Company chose a child and officials to visit the Church of the Nativity. Inside a grotto at the church is an eternal flame symbolizing the light of Christ in the world.
Austrian Scouts still travel to Bethlehem to retrieve the flame each year. Using blast-proof miners’ lamps, the flame is brought back to Austria. In a special ceremony, that one fire is used to light a series of other lanterns carried by representatives from throughout Europe.
For nearly 20 years, the flame has also been flown to New York City each year, to spread across the United States.
Since the start of the ritual, it has been Boy and Girl Scouts and the European Girl Scout equivalents, Guides, who help transport the flame, Karnes said.
He learned about the Peace Light tradition in 2016 while attending a training session in the United Kingdom.
“I decided that bringing that to Indiana, to Johnson County, to Franklin, would be a neat thing to do,” he said. “I thought it was a great opportunity to bring it to our community.”
On Monday, Karnes traveled to Indianapolis to meet the flame and transport it in his own lantern. That lantern will in turn be used to light candles or lanterns of local residents who want to take it home with them. Those who wish to do so should have a way to safely transport the flame.
The ceremony is open to anyone who wants to attend, regardless of faith, Karnes said.
“Even though it comes from Bethlehem, it is not attached to any religious sect or faith community,” he said. “It’s for everyone.”
Earlier in the day, Scouts from the troop will take part in another nationwide effort. They will be at Greenlawn Cemetery in Franklin at noon for Wreaths Across America, placing wreaths on the headstones of veterans buried there.
Supporters have sponsored wreaths, and the Scouts will spread throughout the cemetery to ensure as many veterans as possible are honored. Seven wreaths, representing the five military branches as well as POW/MIA and Merchant Marines, will be laid out as well.
“People who want to help with that can just come out and help us lay wreaths out,” Karnes said.
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Peace Light ceremony
What: The Peace Light is a continuous flame originating from the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The flame is passed from person to person around the world, along with a message of peace and brotherhood.
When: 5 p.m. Sunday
Where: Grace United Methodist Church, 1300 E. Adams St., Franklin
Who can come: The event is open to the public. Those who want to take the flame home with them should bring a candle or lantern with them, and a means to safely transport it.
Organizers: Scout Troop 228 and Venture Crew 228
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