Sixty Seconds of Christmas

And so, this is Christmas…

For weeks, actually months, it’s been anything but simple.

Countless calls and meetings. Spreadsheets. Logistics. Risk assessments. Transport. Permissions. Volunteers. Charities. Launch plans.

A small army of remarkable people giving their time, energy and hearts to make the Light the World Machines in Birmingham and London a reality.

The effort to get those machines switched on and standing proudly in the middle of busy shopping centres was, frankly, huge.

And yet…the most precious moment of my entire year with the machines didn’t come at the launch. It didn’t come from a speech, a photo opportunity, or a “job well done”.

It came in about sixty seconds.

Whilst in Birmingham, a young woman approached the machines and paused in front of them.

She asked me a question, then scanned the machines slowly and thoughtfully. Settling on a hygiene kit, she tapped her card, spent £20, smiled warmly and simply said, “Thank you.”

That was it.

No fanfare.

No explanation.

No need for agreement on beliefs, backgrounds or labels.

Just generosity.

Just kindness.

Just a human recognising the quiet opportunity to help another human.

In that moment, all the noise fell away and it just felt good.

It didn’t feel like a campaign.

Or an initiative.

Or even an event.

It felt like Christmas.

Because Christmas, at its heart, isn’t about scale or spectacle.

It’s not about how polished the lights are or how perfectly the plan came together.

It’s about noticing.

It’s about choosing compassion.

It’s about giving – freely, quietly, and without needing recognition.

That young woman will probably never know what her simple act meant to me.

But in that very moment, through her act of kindness, she captured the true spirit of Christmas.

And so, this is Christmas.

Where has Christmas quietly revealed itself to you this year?