In little Bremen, Indiana, they have a wonderful tradition. Many churches and volunteers put on a “holy walk”. They bus groups of people out to a field on a local farm, in the dark with no electric lights in the vicinity, and take you through a series of live scenes from Bethlehem on the night of Jesus’ birth. You walk along with a guide who is the head of your family, and you have to remember your city of origin, your family name, and your family’s work so you can answer the Roman soldiers properly. As we followed the candlelit path, we encountered shepherds and angels and innkeepers and then sellers in the market. We had to go before the magistrate and our clan’s head paid our taxes, and one of the family members who didn’t answer properly ended up in the stocks for a short while. We then came upon the manger scene, complete with live animals. The kids were enthralled with the acting and the interaction, and they promised to help make baskets or tend animals in exchange for food for our huge clan of 15. We didn’t take any pictures, I’m guessing we would’ve been thrown in jail by the soldiers if we had! This holy walk has been going on for 30 years and was a very special night for us to focus on the reason for the season! Glory to God in the highest!
